Short-term preoperative IL-2 immunotherapy in operable pancreatic cancer: a randomized study.
Hepatogastroenterology
; 56(91-92): 861-5, 2009.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19621718
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
A cell-mediated immunodeficiency is demonstrated to occur in advanced cancer patients. Lymphocytopenia predicts a poor prognosis, moreover, the surgical trauma can worsen the impaired immune surveillance and favor disease recurrence. This study investigates the effectiveness of preoperative interleukin-2 administration to improve lymphocyte counts' postoperative recovery in pancreatic cancer.METHODOLOGY:
31 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent radical surgery were randomized according to 3 different groups. Group A 9 patients treated with human recombinant IL-2 subcutaneously at 9 million IU/day for 3 days before surgery; group B 9 patients treated with IL-2 at 12 million IU/day for 3 days before surgery; group C 13 patients treated with surgery alone. Assessment of total and T helper lymphocyte counts were studied at hospital admission and in 7th and 14th postoperative day.RESULTS:
Toxicity of IL-2 treatment was mild in all groups. Postoperative lymphocytopenia was observed in group A and C, without statistical differences, whereas group B had mean lymphocyte levels within the normal values in the postoperative period.CONCLUSIONS:
This preliminary result suggests that preoperative subcutaneously IL-2 immunotherapy at 12 million IU for 3 consecutive days before surgery is able to abrogate the effects of the surgical trauma and recover a normal immunofunction in pancreatic cancer patients.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pancreatic Neoplasms
/
Interleukin-2
/
Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal
/
Antineoplastic Agents
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
/
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Hepatogastroenterology
Year:
2009
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Italy