Secondary immunodeficiency in advanced lung cancer: effects of chemotherapy plus thymostimulin in immunodepressed patients: updating results

In order to evaluate the effect of an immunomodulator (thymostimulin-TS) added to a traditional combination chemotherapy (ADM, VCR, CTX, CCNU) in advanced lung cancer (oat cell excluded), we began a trial in immuno-depressed patients showing at least 2 out of three appropriate test criteria (see tex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal on tissue reactions Vol. 6; no. 6; p. 499
Main Authors Del Giacco, G S, Mantovani, G, Cengiarotti, L, Puxeddu, G, Pischedda, A, Di Tucci, A, Vespa, F
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland 1984
Subjects
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - administration & dosage
Humans
Immune Tolerance - drug effects
Immunosuppression
Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy
Lung Neoplasms - immunology
Lymphocyte Activation
Male
Thymus Extracts - therapeutic use
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Summary:In order to evaluate the effect of an immunomodulator (thymostimulin-TS) added to a traditional combination chemotherapy (ADM, VCR, CTX, CCNU) in advanced lung cancer (oat cell excluded), we began a trial in immuno-depressed patients showing at least 2 out of three appropriate test criteria (see text). Of the 22 fully evaluable patients (all male), 12 in Arm A were given chemotherapy (CH) alone, and 10 in Arm B received chemotherapy (CH) plus TS (1.5 mg/kg/day, beginning the day after the end of the chemotherapeutic cycle). The mean age was 57 +/- 11 for Arm A and 58 +/- 8 for Arm B. The histological type was squamous for all 12 in Arm A and 9 of the 10 in Arm B. No significant differences were found between the mean survival of the two groups (8.1 +/- 3.6 Arm A and 12.1 +/- 84 Arm B); all the patients in Arm A died (maximum survival 12 months for 3 patients), and 2 patients of Arm B are still alive after 23 and 16 months respectively (one patient died after 23 months). Infections occurred on 2 occasions in 2 patients in Arm B, and 13 times in 5 patients in Arm A of which 2 died during a bronchopneumonia. Bone-marrow toxicity was lower in Arm B than in Arm A. Immunological tests failed to improve in the Arm-B patients receiving TS + CH although their resistance to infections seemed to be better than in patients treated by CH only. The quality of life remaining has been better in the patients of Arm B than in those of Arm A.
ISSN:0250-0868