| Popis: |
Transfer factor from selected donors was administered to ten patients with malignant melanoma. Four patients had widely disseminated disease; immunotherapy had no clinical effect on these patients, either beneficial or adverse, and there were no changes in any tests of cellular immunity that could be attributed to transfer factor. Six patients had disseminated malignant melanoma that was not widespread. These patients were given combined immunotherapy with transfer factor and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin administered by escarification. Two of these six had complete regression of all tumor nodules coincident with combined immunotherapy. One had recurrence of tumor; in spite of continued therapy, she developed cerebral metastases and died. The second patient remains completely free of demonstrable disease 3 years later. Lymphocyte stimulation by melanoma antigens was useful for evaluation in that the only patients whose stimulation increased after transfer factor were the two whose lesions regressed. Spontanous regressions do occur in patients with malignant melanoma. It is possible that we saw two such spontaneous regressions; however, they did coincide in timing with the administration of combined immunotherapy. The results of this study are sufficiently encouraging to warrant a controlled double-blind study of the effects of combined immunotherapy in disseminated malignant melanoma and the use of in vitro tests, especially lymphocyte stimulation by melanoma antigens, in evaluation of recipients. |
