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Case Reports
. 2012 Jan;5(1):114-8.
doi: 10.1159/000337319. Epub 2012 Mar 16.

Autologous immune enhancement therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer with metastases: a case report

Sadananda Rao Manjunath  1 , Ganapathi Ramanan, Vidyasagar Devaprasad Dedeepiya, Hiroshi Terunuma, Xuewen Deng, Subramani Baskar, Rajappa Senthilkumar, Paramasivam Thamaraikannan, Thangavelu Srinivasan, Senthilkumar Preethy, Samuel J K Abraham
Affiliations
Case Reports

Autologous immune enhancement therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer with metastases: a case report

Sadananda Rao Manjunath et al. Case Rep Oncol. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Current therapeutic modalities for ovarian cancer such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery have been reported to yield only marginal success in improving survival rates of patients and have associated adverse effects. We report here a case of recurrent stage IV ovarian cancer, treated with cell-based autologous immune enhancement therapy (AIET) along with chemotherapy and followed up for 18 months. A 54-year-old female was diagnosed with a recurrence of ovarian carcinoma 1 year after initial surgical removal followed by chemotherapy for stage IIIC ovarian carcinoma. When diagnosed in 2010 with recurrence, she had liver and spleen metastases with a CA-125 level of 243 U/ml and a stage IV clinical status. Six infusions of AIET using autologous in vitro expanded and activated natural killer (NK) cells (CD3-CD56+) and activated T lymphocytes (CD3+CD56+) were administered in combination with 6 cycles of chemotherapy with carboplatin and doxorubicin. Following this treatment, CA-125 decreased to 4.7 U/ml along with regression of the metastatic lesions and an improved quality of life. No adverse reactions were reported after the AIET transfusions. Eighteen months of follow-up revealed a static nonprogressive disease. Combining AIET with chemotherapy and other conventional treatments has been found to be effective in our experience, as reported earlier, even in patients with advanced ovarian cancer, and we recommend this strategy be considered in treating similar cases.

Keywords: Autologous immune enhancement therapy; Natural killer cells (CD3–CD56+); Recurrent ovarian carcinoma; • Activated T lymphocytes (CD3+CD56+).

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Course of the treatment of 6 cycles of AIET given intermittently with chemotherapy. The decrease in CA-125 values during the course of the treatment is also depicted. AH = AIET peripheral blood harvest; AT = AIET transfusions; CT = chemotherapy.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
CT scan of the patient taken after 3 cycles of immunotherapy and 6 cycles of chemotherapy in December 2010, showing static non-progressive lesions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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