Active specific immunotherapy of advanced renal-cell carcinoma.

The results of a specific active immunotherapy method following palliative nephrectomy in 31 patients suffering from advanced renal-cell carcinoma are presented. The control patient group comprised of 23 comparable cases, who did not receive immunotherapy. The minimum follow-up time for any patient is 4 years. The statistical 5-year survival rate of the immunotherapy group is 23.6% (SE = 7.8). 7 patients are still alive. The 5-year survival rate of the control group is 4.3% (SE = 4.3), without a single survival. The difference is statistically highly significant (p less than 0.001). No side effects were noted from this form of immunotherapy.