Intracavitary Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Lymphokine-Activated Killer (LAK) Cell Therapy for Malignant Gliomas

OBJECTIVES:

• Confirm the antitumor efficacy of intracavitary interleukin-2 plus autologous lymphokine-activated killer cells in patients with primary, recurrent or refractory malignant gliomas.
• Determine whether the induction of a regional, intracavitary, eosinophilia is a prognosticator of response to immunotherapy and long term survival in these patients.

OUTLINE: Patients receive cytoreductive tumor surgery and/or biopsy and implantation of intracavitary Ommaya reservoir prior to therapy induction.

Patients undergo outpatient leukapheresis on day -4 or -5, and cells are incubated ex vivo with interleukin-2 (IL-2). Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and IL-2 are infused on day 1. Bolus infusions of low-dose IL-2 are administered on days 3, 5, 8, 10, and 12, followed by a rest period on days 13-24. The course is repeated on day 25 starting with leukapheresis. Therapy courses are repeated for up to 1 year for stable disease or response to therapy. Maintenance doses repeat every 4-6 months thereafter.

Disease restaging is done every 8-12 weeks.