Treatment of 121 patients with malignant effusion due to advanced lung cancer by intrapleural transfer of autologous or allogeneic LAK cells combined with rIL-2.

Lymphocytes isolated from malignant pleural effusion in patients with advanced lung cancer or from allogeneic peripheral blood of healthy donors were induced to become LAK cells after in vitro culture with rIL-2. One hundred and twenty-one patients with malignant effusions were treated by intrapleural transfer of autologous or allogeneic LAK cells combined with rIL-2. The effusion disappeared in 71 patients (58.6%) and was significantly decreased in 45 patients (36.2%). Five patients did not respond to treatment. Tumor cells in pleural effusions disappeared or were significantly decreased in number, whereas the lymphocytes were significantly increased in number in all responders. Except for transient fever in 10 patients, no serious side effect was observed.