Lung cancer

Treatment.

Anti-tumor immunotherapy is based on applying the anti-tumor xenogenic polyantigenic vaccine (ÕPV) that has been developed in the Institute of Clinical Immunology (a patent of RF ¹ 2192884). The structural distinctions of the xenogenic tumor-associated antigens from the human homological analogs render these antigens highly immunogenic for human. As a consequence, XPV is highly efficient in inducing anti-tumor reactions in cancer patients (a patent of RF ¹. RF ¹ 2192883).

The inducing course of vaccinotherapy consists of 10 subcutaneous immunizations (five at weekly and five at fortnight intervals) and takes about 3 months. The further vaccination schedule is determined depend upon both a disease stage and a health state of a patient. The treatment is conducted on an outpatient basis.

Infectious safety.

XPV is prepared from murine tumor cells not containing infectious agents which could potentially be pathogenic for humans.

Side effects.

The development of an influenza-like syndrome in the form of a body temperature rise up to 380 C and musculoskeletal discomfort is possible. Those symptoms are usually self- limited. The immunotherapy has no severe side effects attributable to conventional chemoradiotherapy.

Clinical effect.

The vaccine-induced, immune processes destroy the tumor cells and suppress the development of residual disease.

XENOVACCINOTHERAPY FOR LUNG CANCER

XENOVACCINOTHERAPY FOR LUNG CANCER

More than one in four of all diagnosed cancers involve the lung, and lung cancer remains the most common cancer-related cause of death among men and women.

There are two main types of lung cancer that have different microscopic appearances:

  1. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC)—also referred to as oat-cell cancer—usually is found in active or former cigarette smokers. Although SCLC is less common than the other type of lung cancer, it is a more aggressive tumor that is more likely to spread to other body sites.
  2. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tends to grow more slowly and takes longer to spread beyond the lung.

Surgery is the primary treatment for patients with early-stage cancer who are in good general health. The goal of surgery is to totally eliminate all the tumor cells and thereby provide a cure. In a majority of cases, either the patient is not fit for surgery or it is not possible to remove the entire tumor because of its size or location.

The radio-chemotherapy of the advanced disease solves mainly palliative tasks and has no substantial influence on of the survival of patients. Chemotherapy causes many distressing side effects, such as severe nausea with vomiting, anemia, and damage to the white blood cells needed to combat infection. Therefore, the application of chemotherapy is not reasonable in many cases.

Therapeutic vaccination is a strategy that uses tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) to induce an tumor-specific immune process. Although both autologous and allogeneic cell vaccines are well studied, we favor a xenogenic vaccine. Evidence has been accumulated to demonstrate that the xenogenic TAAs can be much more effective in eliciting antitumor immune responses than their homological analogs. This is due to two the reasons. First, immediately after being entered the human body, xenogenic cell membranes are opsonized with natural antibodies and further –via the FcR-mediated mechanism- phagocytized by professional antigen-presenting cells (macrophage, dendritic cell) which are capable of effectively generating the development of antitumor T-cell responses ( a patent RF ¹219283). Second, the small structural distinctions of the xenogenic TAA from their human analogues render these TAA highly immunogenic and capable of inducing immune-mediated, antitumor responses in a patient not only at early, but also at late, advanced, stages of a disease, when tumor-derived immunosuppression is significant.

The specific immunotherapy is able to generate a selective and long-term antitumor effect. Such therapy incorporates the possibility of a complete recovery from residual disease and has no complications attributable to chemotherapy.

Our own experience suggests that the clinical effect of various grades (complete or partial response, disease stabilization) with a duration not shorter than 6 months may be achieved in more than half of patients with stage IV disease. The results obtained are encouraging Nevertheless they must be interpreted with caution because they are based on a very small number of patients with very advanced disease.

Two examples of applying xenovaccinotherapy are described in detail below.

A 50 year-old patient (a history 0008) diagnosed with ñentral squamous carcinoma of the left, low- lobar bronchus, metastatic lesions in the upper lobe of the right lung and in regional lymph nodes (T2 N3M1), atelectasis of 6 segment on the right, began to vaccinate in August 2000. At that time the patient complained of dyspnea at rest, cough with blood streaked sputum, general weakness and low back pain. ERS was 60 mm/h. A rise in the body’s temperature up to 38.5 0 was noted in response to vaccination. The patient’s state remained stable until April 2001, when hemoptysis and weakness became to increase. Because of marked weakness the patient was in bed during the most time. Symptomatic therapy was intensified. During 1 months the state of the patient stabilized, the life-threatening symptoms were cut short. At 1 year after vaccinotherapy initiation a roentgenological picture was without negative dynamics. UI revealed the signs of focal lesion (56 x 54 mm) in the right kidney. The blood parameters were normal. There was a complain of periodic macrohematuria. In April 2004 a roentgenological picture was characterized by rugged pneumofibrosis. CT revealed the signs of focal lesion (49.5 õ 56.4 mm.) in the right kidney; the focus (27.9 õ 61.2 õ 70 mm).of bone destruction was noted in the huckle-bone. The right kidney was surgically ablated in September 2004 ( histological diagnosis was metastatic lesion). In the final analysis, at 4.5 years after vaccinotherapy initiation the patient was in good condition, had no signs of disease progression.

A 75 year-old patient Å ( a history ¹ 0112), diagnosed with ñentral squamous carcinoma of the right lung with rontgenological signs of metastatic lesions in S3 segment on the left, and in II intercostal space on the right, began to vaccinate in April 2002. At that time he complained of dyspnea at rest, cough with moderate quantity of phlegm, and marked general weakness. The treatment was well tolerated. In the final analysis, at 3 years after vaccinotherapy initiation a significant amelioration of disease symptoms was noted. The examination revealed no signs of disease progression.

For more information see the publications the publications .

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