The effect of recombinant interleukin 2 in combination with mitomycin C on advanced cancer.

We recently discovered that the ability of cancer patients to generate lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells became remarkably augmented after mitomycin C (MMC) administration. Based on our clinical findings, we designed a treatment regimen comprised of MMC 12 mg/m2 given intravenously on day 1 and recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL 2) 700 U/m2 given intravenously every 12 hr from day 4 through day 8, when the generation of LAK cells had been shown to be markedly increased. Ten patients with various advanced carcinomas for which standard therapy had failed or no standard therapy was available, were treated with this regimen. Of these ten, three had a partial response and three others had a minor response. Fevers were common and anemia occurred in four patients, but nevertheless, severe toxicity was not encountered. These results indicated that rIL 2 in combination with MMC might be effective against advanced carcinoma without causing severe toxicity when these drugs are used in an appropriate combination.