Unexpected high response rate to traditional therapy after dendritic cell-based vaccine in advanced melanoma: update of clinical outcome and subgroup analysis

Clin Dev Immunol. 2010:2010:504979. doi: 10.1155/2010/504979. Epub 2010 Sep 27.

Abstract

We reviewed the clinical results of a dendritic cell-based phase II clinical vaccine trial in stage IV melanoma and analyzed a patient subgroup treated with standard therapies after stopping vaccination. From 2003 to 2009, 24 metastatic melanoma patients were treated with mature dendritic cells pulsed with autologous tumor lysate and keyhole limpet hemocyanin and low-dose interleukin-2. Overall response (OR) to vaccination was 37.5% with a clinical benefit of 54.1%. All 14 responders showed delayed type hypersensitivity positivity. Median overall survival (OS) was 15 months (95% CI, 8-33). Eleven patients underwent other treatments (3 surgery, 2 biotherapy, 2 radiotherapy, 2 chemotherapy, and 4 biochemotherapy) after stopping vaccination. Of these, 2 patients had a complete response and 5 a partial response, with an OR of 63.6%. Median OS was 34 months (range 16-61). Our results suggest that therapeutic DC vaccination could favor clinical response in patients after more than one line of therapy.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase II

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Cancer Vaccines / adverse effects
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Drug Therapy / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Hemocyanins / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / etiology
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / immunology
  • Interleukin-2 / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Melanoma / immunology
  • Melanoma / mortality
  • Melanoma / secondary
  • Melanoma / therapy*
  • Middle Aged
  • Radiotherapy / statistics & numerical data*
  • Survival Rate
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Interleukin-2
  • Hemocyanins
  • keyhole-limpet hemocyanin