title: Synergy of radiation therapy and immunotherapy in murine renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma with immunotherapy has resulted in objective anti-tumor responses in 15-30% of patients. To enhance the therapeutic effects of immunotherapy, it is becoming evident that this approach should be combined with other treatment modalities. In this study, a spontaneously metastasizing murine renal adenocarcinoma (Renca), transplanted under the renal capsule, was treated with either radiation therapy, immunotherapy or a combination of both. In order to distinguish between the local and systemic effects of radiation therapy, total body irradiation was compared to irradiation of the tumor-bearing kidney only, or irradiation of the whole mouse with the tumor-bearing kidney shielded. Immunotherapy was administered with interleukin-2 (IL-2) alone or with IL-2 and lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells. Combined radiation and immunotherapy induced a better anti-tumor response than either modality alone. The best response was obtained by local tumor irradiation and IL-2 therapy and resulted in a significant reduction in primary tumor size, elimination of lung metastases and a significant increase in survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Medical Center, Allen Park, Michigan.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Dybal
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Maughan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sud
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pontes
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Hillman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015996:Survival Rate; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2