title: Short-term preoperative IL-2 immunotherapy in operable pancreatic cancer: a randomized study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A cell-mediated immunodeficiency is demonstrated to occur in advanced cancer patients. Lymphocytopenia predicts a poor prognosis, moreover, the surgical trauma can worsen the impaired immune surveillance and favor disease recurrence. This study investigates the effectiveness of preoperative interleukin-2 administration to improve lymphocyte counts' postoperative recovery in pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  31 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent radical surgery were randomized according to 3 different groups. Group A: 9 patients treated with human recombinant IL-2 subcutaneously at 9 million IU/day for 3 days before surgery; group B: 9 patients treated with IL-2 at 12 million IU/day for 3 days before surgery; group C: 13 patients treated with surgery alone. Assessment of total and T helper lymphocyte counts were studied at hospital admission and in 7th and 14th postoperative day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Toxicity of IL-2 treatment was mild in all groups. Postoperative lymphocytopenia was observed in group A and C, without statistical differences, whereas group B had mean lymphocyte levels within the normal values in the postoperative period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary result suggests that preoperative subcutaneously IL-2 immunotherapy at 12 million IU for 3 consecutive days before surgery is able to abrogate the effects of the surgical trauma and recover a normal immunofunction in pancreatic cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uggeri
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caprotti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Grate
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crippa
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Penati
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C082598:aldesleukin