Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Specific active immunotherapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma: A clinical longterm follow-up study

  • Published:
World Journal of Urology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The results of a 15-year follow-up study on 127 patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with immunotheapy are presented. All patients were suffering from advanced renal cell carcinoma and were treated by palliative nephrectomy and specific active immunotherapy using polymerized autologous tumour tissue with adjuvant and supportive dietary measures. The longest survival time was 164 months. Of the patients nephrectomized in the period 1971–1975, 15% (66 subjects) can be considered cured from their metastasized disease, as 10 years have elapsed since the last patient was nephrectomized. In the 10-year material (1971–1980; 66+61 subjects), the life expectancy was 47.2 months (SE 6.4), with a 5-year survival rate of 24.5% (SE 5.2) in the immunotherapy group. In the control group consisting of 56 comparable patients treated conventionally after nephrectomy, the life expectancy was 18.6 months (SE 3.2) and the 5-year survival rate 3.5% (SE 2.5) on 1 December 1985. These differences are statistically highly significant (p<0.001). There were no serious side effects from the immunization and the patients remained in excellent general condition. The statistical results of immunotherapy have steadily improved over the years. With increasingly better knowledge of the metabolic and immunological factors involved, the physiological supportive measures used in this treatment are still being improved.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arner O, Blanck C, von Schreeb T (1965) Renal adenocarcinoma. Morphology-grading of malignancy-prognosis. Acta Chir Scand [Suppl] 346

  2. Avrameas S, Ternynck T (1967) Biologically active water insoluble protein polymers. Their use for isolation of antigens and antibodies. J Biol Chem 242:1651–1659

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bartley O, Hultqvist G (1950) Spontaneous regression of hypernephroma. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 27:448–452

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bennington J (1973) Cancer of the kidney — etiology, epidemiology, and pathology. Cancer 32:1017–1031

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bissada N (1977) Renal cell carcinoma. Surg Gynecol Obstet 145:97–104

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bloom H (1973) Hormone-induced and spontaneous regression of metastatic renal cancer. Cancer 32:1066–1074

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bono A, Benvenuti C, Gianneo E, Comeri G, Roggia A (1979) Progestogens in renal cell carcinoma. A retrospective study. Eur Urol 5:94–102

    Google Scholar 

  8. Brosman S, Hausman M, Shocks S (1975) Studies on immune status of patients with renal adenocarcinoma. J Urol 114:375–380

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bukowski R, Groppe C, Reimer R, Weick J, Hewlett J (1979) Immunotherapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 20:402–411

    Google Scholar 

  10. Cantell K, Hirvonen S, Mogensen K, Phylala L (1974) Human leucocyte interferon — production, purification, stability and animal experiments. In Vitro Monogr 3:35–42

    Google Scholar 

  11. Chiang CL (1968) Introduction to stochastic processes in biostatistics. Wiley, New York pp 237–238

    Google Scholar 

  12. Cole A, Avis I, Fried F, Avis F (1976) Cell-mediated immunity in renal cell carcinoma. Preliminary report. J Urol 115:234–238

    Google Scholar 

  13. Cummings K, Peter J, Kaufman J (1973) Cell-mediated immunity to tumor antigens in patients with renal cell carcinoma. J Urol 110:31–35

    Google Scholar 

  14. Czajkowski N, Rosenblatt M, Wolf P, Vazques J (1967) A new method of active immunisation to autologous human tumour tissue. Lancet 27:905–909

    Google Scholar 

  15. De Kernion J, Ramming K, Smith R (1978) The natural history of metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A computer analysis. J Urol 120:148–152

    Google Scholar 

  16. Freed S, Halperin J, Gordon M (1977) Idiopathic regression of metastases from renal cell carcinoma. J Urol 118:538–542

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hakala T, Castro A, Elliot A, Fraley E (1974) Humoral cytotoxity in human renal cell carcinoma. Invest Urol 11:405–412

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hank A (1983) Vitamins in medicine. Recent therapeutic aspects. Int J Vitam Nutr Res [Suppl] 24

  19. Hellström I, Hellström K, Sjögren H, Warner G (1971) Demonstration of cell-mediated immunity to human neoplasms of various histological types. Int J Cancer 7:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hellström K, Hellström I (1974) Lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxity and blocking serum activity to tumour antigens. Adv Immunol 18:209–277

    Google Scholar 

  21. Humphrey L, Murray D, Boehm O (1971) Effect of tumor vaccines in immunizing patients with cancer. Surg Gynecol Obstet 132:437–445

    Google Scholar 

  22. Israel L (1974) Nonspecific immunostimulation in bronchogenic cancer. Scand J Resp Dis [Suppl] 89:95–105

    Google Scholar 

  23. Juusela H (1978) Renal adenocarcinoma, clinical features and factors correlating to survival in 173 patients. Ann Chir Gynaecol 67:Suppl 193

  24. Katz S, Davis J (1977) Renal adenocarcinoma. Prognostics and treatment reflected by survival. Urology 10:10–11

    Google Scholar 

  25. Klugo R, Detmers M, Stiles R, Talley R, Cerny J (1977) Aggressive versus conservative management of stage IV renal cell carcinoma. J Urol 118:244–246

    Google Scholar 

  26. Krementz E, Samuels M, Wallace M, Benes E (1971) Clinical experiences in immunotherapy of cancer. Surgery 133:209–217

    Google Scholar 

  27. Mathe G, Amiel J-L, Schwarzenberg L, Schneider M (1970) The immunological approach to cancer treatment. J Roy Coll Physic Lond 5:62–76

    Google Scholar 

  28. Mathe G, Amiel J, Schwarzenberg L, Schneider M, Cattan A, Schumberger J, Hayat M, de Vassal F (1969) Active immunotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Preliminary Communication. Lancet ii:697–699

    Google Scholar 

  29. Middleton R (1967) Surgery for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. J Urol 97:973–977

    Google Scholar 

  30. Middleton A (1980) Indications for and results of nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Urol Clin N Am 7:711–717

    Google Scholar 

  31. Montie J, Bukowski R, Deodhar S, Hewlett H, Stewart B, Staffon R (1977) Immunotherapy of disseminated renal cell carcinoma with transfer factor. J Urol 117:553–556

    Google Scholar 

  32. Montie J, Stewart B, Straffon R, Banowsky L, Hewitt C, Montague D (1977) The role of adjunctive nephrectomy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. J Urol 117:272–275

    Google Scholar 

  33. Morales A, Eidinger D (1976a) Bacillus Calmette-Guérin in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the kidney. J Urol 115:377–380

    Google Scholar 

  34. Morales A, Eidinger D (1976) Immune reactivity in renal cancer: a sequential study. J Urol 115:510–513

    Google Scholar 

  35. Morales A, Kiruluta G, Lott S (1975) Hormones in the treatment of metastatic renal cancer. J Urol 114:692–693

    Google Scholar 

  36. Morton D, Joseph W, Ketcham A, Geelhoed G, Adkins P (1973) Surgical resection and adjunctive immunotherapy for selected patients with multiple pulmonary metastases. Ann Surg 178:360–366

    Google Scholar 

  37. Nadler H, Moore G (1969) Immunotherapy of malignant disease. Arch Surg 99:376–381

    Google Scholar 

  38. Nauts H, Fawler G, Bogatko F (1953) A review of the influence of bacterial infection and of bacterial products (Coley's toxins) on malignant tumors in man. Acta Med Scand 145:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  39. Neidhart J, Murhy S, Hennick L, Wise H (1980) Active specific immunotherapy of stage IV renal carcinoma with aggregated tumor antigen adjuvant. Cancer 46:1128–1134

    Google Scholar 

  40. Nordberg GF, Andersen O (1981) Metal interactions in carcinogenesis: enhancement, inhibition. Environ Health Perspect 40:65–81

    Google Scholar 

  41. Patel N, Lavengood R (1978) Renal cell carcinoma: Natural history and results of treatment. J Urol 119:722–726

    Google Scholar 

  42. Penn I, Starzl T (1972) Malignant tumour arising de novo in immunosuppressed organ transplant recipient. Transplantation 14:407–412.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Peto R, Pike M, Armitage P, Breslow N, Cox D, Howard S, Mantel N, McPherson K, Peto J, Smith P (1976) Design and analysis of randomized clinical trials requiring prolonged observation of each patient. Br J Cancer 34:585–612

    Google Scholar 

  44. Peto R, Pike M, Armitage P, Breslow N, Cox D, Howard S, Mantel N, McPherson K, Peto J, Smith P (1977) Design and analysis of randomized clinical trials requiring prolonged observation of each patient. Br J Cancer 35:1–39

    Google Scholar 

  45. Pilch Y, Myers G, Sparks F, Golub S (1975) Prospects for the immunotherapy of cancer. Current status of immunotherapy. Curr Probl Surg 2:1–61

    Google Scholar 

  46. Ramming K, DeKernion J (1977) Immune RNA therapy for renal cell carcinoma: Survival and immunologic monitoring. Ann Surg 186:459–467

    Google Scholar 

  47. Robson C, Churchill B, Anderson W (1969) The results of radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. J Urol 101:297–301

    Google Scholar 

  48. Rojas A, Mickiewics E, Feierstein J, Glait H, Olivari A (1976) Levamisole in advanced human breast cancer. Lancet i 211–213

    Google Scholar 

  49. Schapira D, McCune C, Henshaw E (1979) Treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma with specific immunotherapy consisting of autologous tumor cells and C. parvum. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 20:348–453

    Google Scholar 

  50. Skinner D, Colvin R, Vermillion C, Pfister R, Leadbetter W (1971) Diagnosis and management of renal cell carcinoma. Cancer 28:1165–1177

    Google Scholar 

  51. Tallberg T (1967) A new agglutination method using small insoluble antibody or antigenpolymer particles. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn 45:477–486

    Google Scholar 

  52. Tallberg T, Eskola L, Borgström G (1971) Immunological studies using insoluble protein polymers. Protides of the Biological Fluids. Pergamon Press, Oxford. New York XVIII, pp 415–423

    Google Scholar 

  53. Tallberg T, Jokinen E (1972) Further studies on the immunogenicity of protein polymer particles. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 80:174–175

    Google Scholar 

  54. Tallberg T (1974) Cancer-immunotherapy by means of polymerized autologous tumour tissue with special reference to some patients with pulmonary tumour. Scand J Respir Dis 107 [Suppl] 89:107–122

    Google Scholar 

  55. Tallberg T, Tykkä H, Turunen M, Oravisto K, Rytömaa T, Carlson O, Strandström M, Mahlberg K, Sarna S (1976) Cancer Immunity. Polymerized autologous tumour tissue in cancer-immunity. Protides of the Biological Fluids, 23rd colloquium pp 589–597

  56. Tallberg T, Tykkä H, Halttunen P, Mahlberg K, Uusitalo R, Carlson O, Sandstedt B, Oravisto K, Lehtonen T, Sarna S, Strandström H (1979) Cancer Immunity. The effect in cancer immunotherapy of polymerised autologous tumour tissue and supportive measures. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 39 [Suppl] 151

    Google Scholar 

  57. Tallberg T, Tykkä H, Mahlberg K, Halttunen P, Lehtonen T, Kalima T, Sarna S (1985) Active specific immunotherapy with supportive measures in the treatment of palliatively nephrectomized, renal adenocarcinoma patients. Eur Urol 11:233–243

    Google Scholar 

  58. Thompson I, Shannon H, Ross G, Montie J (1975) An analysis of factors affecting survival in 150 patients with renal carcinoma. J Urol 114:694–696

    Google Scholar 

  59. Tykkä H, Hjelt L, Oravisto KJ, Turunen M, Tallberg T (1974) Disappearance of lung metastases during immunotherapy in five patients suffering from renal carcinoma. Scand J Resp Dis [Suppl] 89:123–134

    Google Scholar 

  60. Tykkä H, Oravisto K, Lehtonen T, Sarna S, Tallberg T (1978) Active specific immunotherapy of advanced renal-cell carcinoma. Eur Urol 4:250–258

    Google Scholar 

  61. Tykkä H (1981) Active specific immunotherapy with supportive measures in the treatment of advanced palliatively nephrectomised renal adenocarcinoma. A controlled clinical study. Scand J Urol Nephrol [Suppl] 63

  62. Waters W, Richie J (1979) Aggressive surgical approach to renal cell carcinoma: review of 130 cases. J Urol 122:306–309

    Google Scholar 

  63. UICC (1974) TNM classification of malignant tumours. Geneva

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Immunology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Mannerheimintie 172, 00280, Helsinki 28, Finland

    T. Tallberg

  2. Urology Unit, Second Department of Surgery, Haartmaninkatu 4, 00290, Helsinki 29, Finland

    H. Tykkä

Authors
  1. T. Tallberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Tykkä
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tallberg, T., Tykkä, H. Specific active immunotherapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma: A clinical longterm follow-up study. World J Urol 3, 234–244 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00632185

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00632185

Keywords

Search

Navigation