ABSTRACT
We present interim survival data for a group of 83 adult patients with recurrent malignant glioma treated by implanting stimulated autologous lymphocytes into the tumour bed following surgical debulking. The patients were treated 6 months or more prior to data analysis. Fifty-nine patients were male and 24 female. The mean age for the entire group was 48.4 years and the mean Karnofsky rating (KR) was 67.2. Eight of the patients had grade II tumours, 33 had grade III tumours and 42 had grade IV tumours. Statistical analysis focuses on tumour grade, KR and patient age, factors that have been shown to affect survival in previous studies. Multifactorial analyses are employed to identify interrelationships among factors related to survival. Seven patients (8%) did not respond to immunotherapy, 76 (92%) had a good initial response. Twenty-five patients (30.1%) are living and 18 (22%) have shown no evidence of recurrence. Results are evaluated in the light of those obtained in trials of other experimental therapies for recurrent malignant gliomas. It is concluded that the present protocol offers a safe and comparatively effective treatment option.
Subject(s)
Astrocytoma/therapy , Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Glioblastoma/therapy , Immunotherapy, Adoptive , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/therapy , Adult , Aged , Astrocytoma/mortality , Brain Neoplasms/mortality , California/epidemiology , Female , Glioblastoma/mortality , Humans , Interleukin-2/pharmacology , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/mortality , Phytohemagglutinins/pharmacology , Survival Analysis , Survival Rate , T-Lymphocytes/drug effects , T-Lymphocytes/transplantationABSTRACT
An immunotherapy protocol based on intracranial implantation of stimulated, autologous lymphocytes into the tumor bed following surgical debulking of malignant glioma is described. Phase I clinical trials in human patients are now in progress. Preliminary data representing the first 39 patients treated are presented briefly.
Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Glioma/therapy , Immunization, Passive/methods , Lymphocytes/immunology , Adult , Aged , Clinical Trials as Topic , Female , Humans , Interleukin-2/pharmacology , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Lymphoglandular toxoplasmosis has a reputation for mimicking several other diseases, especially infectious mononucleosis. Thus, the correct diagnosis often is not discovered until common conditions have been ruled out and the patient has been subjected to excisional lymph node biopsy. The physician who considers toxoplasmosis early and orders appropriate serologic tests can spare the patient unnecessary surgery.
