Adoptive immunotherapy of advanced solid tumors: An eight year clinical experience

Background: Adoptive immunotherapy (AI) of cancer, based upon the injection of in vitro manipulated autologous lymphocytes is still in an experimental phase. Our group started different clinical trials of AI in early 1990, an d, at present, some specific targets for this approach seem to have been id entified. Patients and methods: 296 patients with solid tumors (melanoma, k idney carcinoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, neoplastic pleur al effusion, and liver cancer) were treated with either locoregional or sys temic adoptive immunotherapy (AI) using both LAK and TIL cells in combinati on with s.c. rIL-2. Results: the surgery/AI combination resulted in good cl inical results, characterized by enhanced survival and long lasting disease free periods in a significant number of patients. Conclusions: AI seems to be efficacious in the treatment of melanoma, lung and hepatic cancers. Fur ther studies will expand the application of the treatment to other malignan cies.