title: Secondary immunodeficiency in advanced lung cancer: effects of chemotherapy plus thymostimulin in immunodepressed patients: updating results.
abstract: In order to evaluate the effect of an immunomodulator (thymostimulin-TS) added to a traditional combination chemotherapy (ADM, VCR, CTX, CCNU) in advanced lung cancer (oat cell excluded), we began a trial in immuno-depressed patients showing at least 2 out of three appropriate test criteria (see text). Of the 22 fully evaluable patients (all male), 12 in Arm A were given chemotherapy (CH) alone, and 10 in Arm B received chemotherapy (CH) plus TS (1.5 mg/kg/day, beginning the day after the end of the chemotherapeutic cycle). The mean age was 57 +/- 11 for Arm A and 58 +/- 8 for Arm B. The histological type was squamous for all 12 in Arm A and 9 of the 10 in Arm B. No significant differences were found between the mean survival of the two groups (8.1 +/- 3.6 Arm A and 12.1 +/- 84 Arm B); all the patients in Arm A died (maximum survival 12 months for 3 patients), and 2 patients of Arm B are still alive after 23 and 16 months respectively (one patient died after 23 months). Infections occurred on 2 occasions in 2 patients in Arm B, and 13 times in 5 patients in Arm A of which 2 died during a bronchopneumonia. Bone-marrow toxicity was lower in Arm B than in Arm A. Immunological tests failed to improve in the Arm-B patients receiving TS + CH although their resistance to infections seemed to be better than in patients treated by CH only. The quality of life remaining has been better in the patients of Arm B than in those of Arm A.
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D013949:Thymus Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013949:Thymus Extracts; C031407:thymostimulin