Six patients with metastatic
renal cell carcinoma were treated with five
intravenous infusions (every other day) of autologous lymphocytes incubated in vitro with
I-RNA extracted from the lymphoid tissue of guinea pigs immunized with the patient's own
tumor. No toxicity was evident. One patient showed regression of multiple pulmonary
metastases beginning three months after
therapy with complete remission by six months. She remained without evidence of disease until 18 months after
therapy. Two other patients had more than 50% regression of measurable
metastases lasting eight and ten months after
therapy. Two patients showed stabilization of previously growing
renal cell carcinoma pulmonary
metastases. A single patient with
renal cell carcinoma metastatic to brain had progressive
tumor growth after a single
I-RNA treatment. Serial peripheral blood lymphocyte samples obtained from each of the patients during
I-RNA therapy demonstrated progressive increase in in vitro cytolysis of allogeneic
renal cell carcinoma targets. Boosts in cytolytic effect were shown in all patients during
I-RNA treatment regardless of their subsequent
clinical course. These results seem to justify a randomized, prospective trial of xenogeneic
I-RNA therapy in
renal cell carcinoma patients with lesser
tumor burden.