Scientifical publications

Zhang LP, Nie Q, Kang JB, Wang B, Cai CL, Li JG, Qi WJ.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Naval General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, 100037, P. R. China. drwangbin@hotmail.com.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are major therapies for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. This study was to evaluate the efficacy of three-dimensional conformal gamma-knife radiotherapy combined with thermochemotherapy on locally advanced pancreatic cancer. 

METHODS: From December 2001 to January 2006, 75 patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were divided into radiotherapy group (37 patients) and combination group (38 patients). All patients received gamma-knife radiotherapy using Stereotactic Radiotherapy Gamma Rays System, with iso-dose curves of 50%-60%, tumor encircling dose of 3.0-4.5 Gy per fraction, 8-11 fractions. The patients in combination group received simultaneous thermotherapy at 41.5-43.5 celsius (1 h/fraction, twice a week for 6 times), and chemotherapy with venous administration of tegafur (0.5-1.0 g) and calcium folinate (CF, 0.2 g) for 4-6 times, or venous administration of gemcitabine (0.6-1.0 g/m(2)) on Days 1 and 8 and cisplatin (DDP) (20-30 mg/m(2)) on Days 1-3, repeated every 28 days for 3-6 cycles.

RESULTS: At 3 months after treatment, the total response (complete remission and partial remission) rate was 70.7% (53/75); the response rate was 73.7% in combination group and 67.5% in radiotherapy group. The 1-year survival rate was 48.3%, and the 2-year survival rate was 22.1%. The 1-and 2-year survival rates were 51.2% and 26.5% in combination group, and 45.2% and 17.6% in radiotherapy group. No serious complications, such as perforation, bleeding and high fever, were seen during treatment and follow-up. 

CONCLUSION: 3-D conformal gamma-knife radiotherapy combined with thermochemotherapy is well tolerated and is relatively effective for most patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Immature dendritic cells enhance antitumor effects
of hyperthermia

Reuters Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Injection of immature dendritic cells into tumors treated with hyperthermia enhances the antitumor effect, according to a report in the September 10th issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Previous research has shown that hyperthermia induces antitumor immunity related to expression of heat shock proteins, which also activate dendritic cells, the authors explain.

Dr. Hiroyuki Honda, from Nagoya University in Japan, and colleagues investigated the feasibility of a novel therapy combining hyperthermia with magnetite cationic liposomes (to foster intracellular heating) and intratumoral injection of immature dendritic cells for malignant melanoma in a mouse model.
v Immature dendritic cells pulsed in vitro with heated tumor cells increased surface expression of various molecules, including the chemokine receptor CCR7, the authors report, indicating that heated tumor cells can induce dendritic cell maturation.

Melanoma tumors in mice treated with hyperthermia continued to grow progressively, the results indicate, but 2 of 10 similar mice treated with immature dendritic cells showed suppression of tumor growth.

Combination of hyperthermia with immature dendritic cell injection suppressed tumor growth, the researchers note, resulting in complete regression of 6 of 10 subcutaneous tumors.

Survival was prolonged slightly by dendritic cell treatment alone, the researchers note, but combination treatment with hyperthermia and immature dendritic cell injection significantly prolonged survival (p 0.05).

Combination therapy induced both cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, the report indicates, and all mice exhibiting complete regression of tumors rejected melanoma tumor cells injected subsequently.

"These results suggest that our hyperthermia system induced a vaccine-like effect caused by necrotic cell death via heat shock protein 70 expression in vivo and that its combination with immature dendritic cells was a potent therapeutic methodology," the investigators conclude.

"Based on these results," the authors add, "we believe that combination therapy of hyperthermia using magnetite cationic liposomes and intratumoral injection of immature dendritic cells is applicable to patients with advanced malignancies as a novel cancer therapy."

Int J Cancer 2005;116:624-633.

Dendritic cell therapy in combination with interferon-alpha
for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Tatsugami K, Eto M, Harano M, Hamaguchi M, Miyamoto T, Morisaki T, Furue M, Akashi K, Naito S. Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dendritic cell (DC) therapy in combination with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: Seven patients, with progressive disease following IFN-alpha and interleukin (IL)-2 treatment, were treated with monocyte-derived DC (Mo-DC) and IFN-alpha between February 2004 and September 2006. They received Mo-DC once a week for 5 weeks and then every 2 weeks either intradermally or intratumorally. IFN-alpha (5-6 million U) was subcutaneously administered three times a week. Tumor size was evaluated by computed tomography scans before and after the 5th and 10th DC vaccination. A delayed-type hypersensitivity test was performed after the 4th and 5th DC administration for immunological monitoring.

Results: Five patients had stable disease while the remaining two patients had progressive disease following 4 months of vaccination. In six patients the time to progression was prolonged in comparison with the previous cytokine treatment. Six patients showed delayed-type hypersensitivity after the 4th or 5th immunization. Three patients developed high fever following DC immunization. Treatment was associated with transient flu-like symptoms.

Conclusions: Our data indicate that DC therapy combined with IFN-alpha is safe and has the potential for prolonging the time to progression in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

PMID: 18564205 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]