Use of adoptive transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes alone or in combination with cisplatin-containing chemotherapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Abstract

Lymphocytes isolated from fresh human epithelial ovarian tumors can be expanded in the presence of recombinant interleukin-2, and some CD8 antigen-positive lymphocytes can lyse autologous fresh tumor cells. We treated 7 patients with advanced or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancers, using the adoptive transfer of these tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) following a single i.v. injection of cyclophosphamide. One case of disappearance (complete response) and 4 cases of greater than 50% decrease of tumor (partial response) were reported (14.3 and 57.1%, respectively). Regression of tumors in the ovary, liver, lung, and lymph node, both primaries and metastases, lasted for 3-5 months. Furthermore, 10 patients were treated alternately with a cisplatin-containing chemotherapeutic regimen and the adoptive transfer of TILs. Seven cases of complete regression and 2 cases of partial regression of cancer were reported. Four of the 7 patients with a complete response have had no recurrence for greater than 15 months of follow-up. It appears that this experimental technique of adoptive transfer of TILs achieves high response rates even without recombinant interleukin-2 administration and that the prospect of combined therapy using TILs and cisplatin offers hope for increasing the cure rate and long-term survival.