National Institutes of Health Intramural funds and St Baldrick's Foundation.

No abstract

Purpose Most treatments for patients with metastatic melanoma have a low rate of complete regression and thus overall survival in these patients is poor. We have investigated the ability of adoptive cell transfer utilizing autologous, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes to mediate durable complete regressions in heavily pre-treated patients with metastatic melanoma. Experimental Design Ninety-three patients with measurable metastatic melanoma were treated with the adoptive transfer of autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes administered in conjunction with interleukin-2 following a lymphodepleting preparative regimen on three sequential clinical trials. Ninety-five percent of these patients had progressive disease following a prior systemic treatment. Median potential followup was 62 months. Results Objective response rates by RECIST criteria in the three trials using lymphodepleting preparative regimens (chemotherapy alone or with 2Gy or 12Gy irradiation) were 49%, 52% and 72%. Twenty of the 93 patients (22%) achieved a complete tumor regression and 19 have ongoing complete regressions beyond three years The actuarial three and five year survivals for the entire group were 36% and 29% respectively but for the 20 complete responders were 100% and 93%. The likelihood of achieving a complete response was similar regardless of prior therapy. Factors associated with objective response included longer telomeres of the infused cells, the number of CD8+ CD27+ cells infused and the persistence of the infused cells in the circulation at one month (all p2<0.001). Conclusions Cell transfer therapy with autologous tumor infiltrating can mediate durable complete responses in patients with metastatic melanoma and has similar efficacy irrespective of prior treatment.

Bevacizumab can significantly prolong the time to progression of disease in patients with metastatic renal-cell cancer.