Higher survival of refractory metastatizing breast cancer after thermotherapy and autologous specific antitumoral immunotherapy.

46 women (average 54.3 yrs) with refractory metastatizing breast cancer were treated with thermotherapy and autologous specific immunotherapy (rhIL-2 ex vivo activated cells). Metastases involved one organ in 69%; in particular, bone, lung, liver. The PS after treatment was satisfactory in 41%; the outcome was better in those cases with metastases to one site. The women remaining alive were 31/46; 67% of thermoimmunotherapy treated patients were alive after a maximum survival time of 85 months (median 24 months). The 36 months of control showed a 5-fold higher survival rate in our series when challenged with that of compared women undergoing only chemotherapy (p < .001).