Abstract
BackgroundDespite the increased rate of complete response to initial chemotherapy, most patients with advanced ovarian cancer relapse and succumb to progressive disease. Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy has been developed as a novel strategy for generating antitumor immunity as part of cancer treatments. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility and clinical effects of DC therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC).MethodsThis retrospective study included 56 ROC patients who initially received standard chemotherapy followed by DC-based immunotherapy targeting synthesized peptides at 2 institutions between March 2007 and August 2013. The adverse events (AEs) and clinical responses were examined.ResultsNo serious treatment-related AEs were observed. Seventy one percent of the enrolled patients developed an immunologic response. The median survival time (MST) from ROC diagnosis was 30.4 months, and that from the first vaccination was 14.5 months. Albumin levels of ≥4.0 g/dL and lactate dehydrogenase levels of <200 IU/L before vaccination were identified as significant independent factors by multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis. The MST from the first vaccination in patients with albumin levels of ≥4.0 and <4.0 g/dL were 19.9 and 11.6 months, respectively. The corresponding disease control rates were 36% and 15%, respectively.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated the feasibility and potential clinical effectiveness of DC-based immunotherapy for ROC patients. Additionally, a good nutritional status might be an important factor for further clinical effects.
Highlights
According to a 2012 estimate, approximately 22,280 new cases of ovarian cancer (OC) are diagnosed and 15,500 women die of the disease in the United States annually [1]
Patients A total of 71 patients who initially received chemotherapy for recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) followed by Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy were included in our study
8 patients who received less than 5 rounds of the DC vaccine and 5 who were unavailable for follow-up examinations were excluded
Summary
According to a 2012 estimate, approximately 22,280 new cases of ovarian cancer (OC) are diagnosed and 15,500 women die of the disease in the United States annually [1]. The first DC vaccination study was reported in 1996 [7], and a few clinical trials of DC-based immunotherapy for OC have been conducted [8,9,10]. These trials included patients with all stages of OC and had small sample sizes, making it difficult to accurately assess the efficacy of DC immunotherapy in ROC. Despite the increased rate of complete response to initial chemotherapy, most patients with advanced ovarian cancer relapse and succumb to progressive disease. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility and clinical effects of DC therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC)
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