Implications of current therapeutic approaches in colorectal cancer for other gastrointestinal malignancies.

Novel immunotherapeutic strategies for combating colon cancer are also being explored in pancreatic, hepatic, and esophageal cancers. Preliminary clinical trials in patients with pancreatic cancer suggest a therapeutic role for anti-idiotypic antibodies against tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs)--eg, CO17-1A, BW 494/32--but not for MoAbs when used alone. Adding low doses of interferon gamma to CO17-1A enhances in vitro antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against pancreatic tumor cells; CO17-1A plus a regimen of 5-FU/doxorubicin/mitomycin has resulted in beneficial therapeutic effect. Treatments with immunotoxins, radiolabeled MoAbs, and adoptive immunotherapy are still being tested preclinically. In 105 patients with unresectable hepatocellular cancer, a 7% complete and 41% partial regression rate with 131I-labeled antiferritin has been reported. In several patients, radiolabeled antiferritin caused sufficient shrinkage of lesions to permit curative resection. Pretreatment with low-dose doxorubicin may improve the efficacy of low-dose radiolabeled antiferritin antibody therapy. Chemoembolization of primary hepatocellular carcinoma, based on the concept of regional therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer, has shown considerable palliative and survival benefit in patients with unresectable disease. Although adoptive immunotherapy has been used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma, the results have been disappointing. The development of immunotherapeutic approaches to esophageal cancer is less advanced than that for other gastrointestinal malignancies. Paralleling the successful use of 5-FU/interferon alfa-2a in colon cancer are two phase II studies that have evaluated this combination in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. The objective response rate (27%) was encouraging.