A critical review of immunotherapy of disseminated renal adenocarcinoma.

Sixty patients with renal adenocarcinoma have been treated with five different immunotherapy trials consisting of 1) Transfer Factor (TF), 2) TF and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), 3) TF, BCG, Chloroethyl-cyclohexy-nitrosurea (CCNU) and megestrol acetate (Megase), 4) BCG, CCNU, and Megase, or 5) BCG. Using strict response criteria for measurable disease, objective responses were seen in 14-22% of cases. While this nonspecific immunotherapy of renal adenocarcinoma has been associated with documented regression of metastases, response rates are similar to that obtained with hormonal therapy alone. Objective responses support the concept of further trials in this disease with more sophisticated immunotherapy.