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The aim of this work was to improve radiotherapy results by immune stimulation. We tested the effects of a combination of radio‐ and immunotherapy, i.e., local low dose recombinant interleukin‐2 (rIL‐2) treatment, in two murine tumor models. Syngeneic tumors (SL2 lymphoma or M8013 mammary carcinoma) were induced subcutaneously on one or both flanks of mice. Irradiation was given either as a single dose (20 Gy) or fractionated (25 Gy) in 2 weeks. One or two cycles of rIL‐2 were given concurrent with or subsequent to radiotherapy. One cycle of rIL‐2 consisted of peritumoral injections administered on 5 consecutive days. Treatment effects were measured in terms of local tumor response and disease‐free survival (DFS). The combined treatment modality was significantly better than treatment with either irradiation alone or rIL‐2 alone. When tumors were inoculated on both flanks of the mice, combined radioimmunotherapy of one of the tumors also resulted in regression of the contralateral untreated tumor, indicating that a systemic anti‐tumor immune reaction was induced. Additional rIL‐2 injections did not enhance radiation toxicity. In conclusion supplementing irradiation with locally administered low doses of rIL‐2 results in better local anti‐tumor responses and DFS rates than either treatment alone without enhanced treatment toxicity. Furthermore, the local treatment induces a systemic anti‐tumor reaction, influencing the growth patterns of a second, untreated tumor. Radiat. Oncol. Invest. 5:54–61, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Local stage of advanced cervical cancer changes in 27% comparing MRI and clinical examination.• For treatment allocation important clinical stages IB1-IIA2 changed to IIB on MRI in 31%.• Pelvic wall/bladder infiltration vary considerably, likely due to different definitions for clinical and imaging findings. • 50% of this cohort are allocated to stage IIIC with FIGO 2018, obscuring local tumour extent.• TNM offers the most differentiated stage allocation with 26 subgroups in this cohort.

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