title: Higher survival of refractory metastatizing breast cancer after thermotherapy and autologous specific antitumoral immunotherapy.
abstract: 46 women (average 54.3 yrs) with refractory metastatizing breast cancer were treated with thermotherapy and autologous specific immunotherapy (rhIL-2 ex vivo activated cells). Metastases involved one organ in 69%; in particular, bone, lung, liver. The PS after treatment was satisfactory in 41%; the outcome was better in those cases with metastases to one site. The women remaining alive were 31/46; 67% of thermoimmunotherapy treated patients were alive after a maximum survival time of 85 months (median 24 months). The 36 months of control showed a 5-fold higher survival rate in our series when challenged with that of compared women undergoing only chemotherapy (p < .001).
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Oncologia e Termoterapia, Casa di Cura Città di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pontiggia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuppone-Curto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabato
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rotella
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Silvotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome