Graft-versus-tumour effect in non-small-cell lung cancer after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

Clinical evidence of a graft-vs.-tumour effect in solid tumours after haema topoietic stem cell transplantation is lacking. We report for the first tim e a complete and durable regression of a stage IB non-small-cell lung carci noma in a patient who had received an allogeneic peripheral blood haematopo ietic stem cell transplant for acute myeloblastic leukaemia in first comple te remission. Disappearance of the tumour coincided with development of gra ft-vs.-host disease. This suggests that simultaneous generation of cytotoxi c T lymphocytes against lung carcinoma cells could have been responsible fo r the regression. This unique clinical observation broadens the possibility of using allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in treating n eoplasias lacking significant sensitivity to chemotherapy.