Porta Camillo
Medical Oncology and Laboratory of Preclinical Oncology and Developmental Therapeutics, IRCCS San Matteo University Hospital, Piazzale Camillo Golgi, 2I-27100 Pavia, Italy.
Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2006 Jan;6(1):141-52. doi: 10.1586/14737140.6.1.141.
The term maintenance immunotherapy comprises at least two different therapeutic approaches: the continuation of immunotherapy beyond disease progression and the use of chronic immunotherapy after the achievement of an initial response (or disease stabilization) with more intensive treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy. The former therapeutic approach was proposed in renal cell carcinoma some years ago relying on several immunological considerations. Some years later, we have learned that it is feasible and endowed with a favorable therapeutic index; furthermore, its immunologic effects are well described and reproducible, and it has antitumor activity. However, due to the lack of adequate randomized Phase III studies, the actual impact of this treatment strategy on patient survival has not yet been proved. The rationale of this treatment, its immunological and clinical results, as well as its pitfalls and perspectives, will be presented and discussed in this review.
在疾病进展后继续进行免疫治疗，以及在采用更强化的治疗方式（如化疗）取得初始缓解（或疾病稳定）后使用慢性免疫疗法。前一种治疗方法是数年前基于一些免疫学考量在肾细胞癌中提出的。几年后，我们了解到它是可行的且具有良好的治疗指数；此外，其免疫效应得到了充分描述且可重复，并且具有抗肿瘤活性。然而，由于缺乏充分的随机III期研究，这种治疗策略对患者生存的实际影响尚未得到证实。本综述将介绍并讨论这种治疗方法的原理、其免疫和临床结果，以及其缺陷和前景。
