title: Free-from-progression period and overall short preoperative immunotherapy with IL-2 increases the survival of pancreatic cancer patients treated with macroscopically radical surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The treatment of pancreatic cancer is still rudimentary, even in the case of locally limited tumors, because of the high frequency of recurrence due to severe suppression of the anticancer immunity that is further amplified by surgery-induced immunosuppression, evidenced by a decline in lymphocyte numbers during the postoperative period. Previous studies in colorectal cancer demonstrated that surgery-induced lymphocytopenia may be abrogated by a brief preoperative administration of IL-2.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 30 consecutive patients who were randomized to be treated by radical surgery alone as a control group or by a preoperative immunotherapy with IL-2 (12 MIU/day SC for 3 consecutive days) plus surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean lymphocyte numbers significantly decreased in patients treated with surgery only, whereas it significantly rose in the IL-2-treated group. After a follow-up of 36 months, both the free-from-progression period (FFPP) and the overall survival were significantly higher in patients treated with IL-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results suggest that a short-period preoperative immunotherapy with IL-2 is sufficient to modify host tumor interactions in operable pancreatic cancer, with a subsequent abrogation of postoperative lymphocytopenia and a prolongation of FFPP and overall survival time.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caprotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brivio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Degrate
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lissoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parolini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colciago
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uggeri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2