L'IMMUNOTERAPIA ADOTTIVA NEL TRATTAMENTO POST-CHIRURGICO DEL CARCINOMA POLMONARE NON A PICCOLE CELLULE

This study has been carried out to evaluate the efficacy of Adoptive Immunotherapy (AI) with TIL (Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes) cells and recombinant Interleukin-2 (rIL-2) in patients who underwent surgery for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at Stage II, IIIa or IIIb. Seventy-one patients were stratified according to the disease Stage, randomized and treated with AI or standard therapies (Chemo-radiotherapy in Stage III; no therapy in Stage II). TIL cells, obtained from the removed specimens, were in vitro expanded and infused i.v. Subcutaneous administration of rIL-2, starting at the TIL infusion day, lasted for 3 months. For Stage II patients, the survival curve in the AI Group was similar to that in the Control Group. For Stage IIIa patients, survival tended to be higher in the AI Group with respect to the Control Group. For Stage IIIb patients, survival was significantly (p <0.05) better in the AI Group. The Performance Status, as far as Stage III patients are concerned, was improved in the AI Group, with respect to the Control Group. The number of intrathoracic recurrences was lower (50%) in patients undergoing AI, while no difference between Groups was found for distant relapse.