title: Autologous cytokine-induced killer cell transfusion increases overall survival in advanced pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) has very poor prognosis with present treatments, thus necessitating continued efforts to find improved therapeutic approaches. Both preclinical and preliminary clinical data indicate that cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells are an effective tool against various types of solid tumors. Here, we conducted a study to determine whether CIK cell-based therapy (CBT) can improve the outcomes of advanced PC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two patients with advanced PC, whose predicted survival time was longer than 3 months, were analyzed retrospectively. Of all the patients, 57 individuals were receiving chemotherapy, while the remaining 25 individuals were treated with CBT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall survival analysis was based on 48 deaths in the 57 patients in the chemotherapy group (84.2%) and 18 deaths in the 25 patients in the CBT group (72.0%). In the CBT group, the median overall survival time was 13.5 months, as compared to 6.6 months in the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio for death, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.23 to 0.65; p < 0.001). The survival rate was 88.9% in the CBT group versus 54.2% in the chemotherapy group at 6 months, 61.1% versus 12.5% at 12 months, and 38.9% versus 4.2% at 18 months. The disease control rate was 68.0% in the CBT group and 29.8% in the chemotherapy group (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results from this retrospective analysis appeared to imply that CBT might prolong survival in these high-risk PC patients. Prospective study is needed to corroborate this observation.
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Zibing
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
authors: Yuqing
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Rui'e
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Yiman
authors: Y
authors: Shang
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Lingdi
authors: L
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Yonghao
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Xiaojie
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Urology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Tiejun
authors: T
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Changfu
authors: C
authors: Nie
authors: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Han
authors: Department of Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
authors: Suxia
authors: S
authors: Luo
authors: Department of Immunotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China. quanligao1@aliyun.com.
authors: Quanli
authors: Q
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Hematology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China. songyongping@medmail.com.cn.
authors: Yongping
authors: Y
authors: Song
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055612:Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000209:etiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology