Transfer factor with anti-EBV activity as an adjuvant therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a pilot study.
Overall survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) at UICC stage IV still remains unsatisfactory even with combination chemotherapy (CT) and radio-therapy (RT). In view of the association of reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with the development and recurrence of NPC, immunotherapy in the form of transfer factor (TF) with specific activity against EBV (TF-B1) was suggested as an adjuvant to a combination of CT and RT in order to improve survival. In the present study, 6 UICC stage IV patients received TF-B1 and another 6 patients matched for disease stage were given TF prepared from peripheral blood leucocytes (TF-PBL). Results were compared with another 18 patients matched by age, sex, and stage of disease who received standard therapy without TF during the same period (C group). After a median follow up of 47.5 months, the survival for the TF-B1 group was found to be significantly better (P = < 0.05) than the PBL and C group. While the 8 patients with distant metastasis (DM), not treated with TF-B1 (6 in the control and 2 in the PBL group), died due to progressive disease (average survival being 14.3 months), both patients with DM in the TF-B1 group had complete remission: one died of tuberculosis after surviving for 3.5 years and another is still alive, disease free, after 4.2 years. Although the series involved a small number of cases, the apparent effect of adjuvant immunotherapy in the form of TF with anti-EBV activity is of considerable interest.
Prasad
U
U
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
bin Jalaludin
M A
MA
Rajadurai
P
P
Pizza
G
G
De Vinci
C
C
Viza
D
D
Levine
P H
PH
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D014165:Transfer Factor / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014165:Transfer Factor