Intraarterial cellular immunotherapy for patients with inoperable liver metastases of esophageal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We report 2 patients with refractory liver metastatic tumor after esophagectomy for advanced esophageal cancer, who responded markedly to locoregional cellular immunotherapy by repeated intraarterial infusions of autologous tumor cell-activated T lymphocytes (AuTL), even after they failed the standard chemotherapy of cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).


METHODS
AuTL administrations were made through the hepatic artery via a subcutaneous reservoir located at the right upper leg. Six injections were administered to both patients, repeated at 2-week intervals. The total number of administered T cells reached 2.4 x 10(9) and 3.1 x 10(9), respectively.


RESULTS
A 39% and 51% regression in each infused field, compared with the size of liver tumor before treatment, was observed by computed tomography (CT) scan in patient 1 and 2, respectively. The responses continued up to the 10th and 11th month after the intraarterial infusion, confirmed by follow-up CT scan. The adverse effects of intraarterial immunotherapy were tolerable, with grade 1-2 fever and nausea in each patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical regression of liver metastases of esophageal cancer was observed in both patients who received this intraarterial cellular immunotherapy. Liver metastases of esophageal cancer may be controlled effectively and safely by repeating the intraarterial AuTL infusion as a locoregional immunotherapy over a long period.
Toh
Uhi
U
Dept. of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine.
Sudo
Tomoya
T
Kido
Kouichiro
K
Tanaka
Toshiaki
T
Sueyoshi
Susumu
S
Fujita
Hiromasa
H
Hiraki
Mamoru
M
Horiuchi
Hiroyuki
H
Shirouzu
Kazuo
K
Yamana
Hideaki
H
D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed