Skin Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Skin Cancer, including details on identification, causes, prevention, treatment.

Autologous large multivalent immunogen vaccine in patients with metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.

Dudek AZ, Mescher MF, Okazaki I, Math VT, Luo X, Curtsinger JM, Miller JS

Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St. SE, MMC 480, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. dudek002@umn.edu

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and activity of large multivalent immunogen (LMI), prepared by immobilizing autologous tumor cell plasma membrane on 5-microm diameter silica beads, in patients with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Thirty patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma and 31 patients with stage IV RCC were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 trial arms and received monthly treatment with (1) LMI alone, (2) cyclophosphamide followed 8 days later with LMI, or (3) the same treatment as in arm 2 with IL-2 given for 5 days beginning 1 week after LMI administration. RESULTS: No grade 4 toxicities were observed. For patients with melanoma, median overall survival time for all 30 patients was 20.4 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.0-not assessable], and median progression-free survival was 2.8 months (95% CI: 1.9-6.3). For patients with RCC, median overall survival exceeded 46.2 months (95% CI: 30.3-not assessable), and median progression-free survival was 12.2 months (95% CI: 4.6-not assessable). Two patients had a partial response to LMI treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results that demonstrate the safety and tolerability of LMI vaccine, further development of this therapy is warranted to evaluate its clinical efficacy.

Published 8 April 2008 in Am J Clin Oncol, 31(2): 173-81.
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