Interleukin-2 and Interferon-α in the Treatment of Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Immunotherapy

“…Similarly, a combination of IL-2 and IFN-α demonstrated no benefit. 20 A combination of IL-2 and melatonin, on the other hand, demonstrated a clinical benefit (20% partial response, 50% stable disease) in a study of 20 patients. 21 …”

Immunologic Checkpoint Blockade in Lung Cancer

“…28 General immuno-stimulatory agents, such as interleukin 2 (which stimulates CTL proliferation), and early vaccines have failed to demonstrate activity in lung cancer, achieving a durable benefit in only a limited subset of patients, delivering a modest survival benefit, and being associated with a considerable toxicity burden. [29][30][31] This led to the belief that lung cancer is a poorly immunogenic disease. However, novel and improved immunotherapeutic agents, including a range of vaccines and immuno-oncology agents, are currently in development, and although results are not yet available from Phase 3 clinical trial programs, data from early studies suggest that improved efficacy might be possible.…”

Immunotherapy for Advanced Lung Cancer

“…Early attempts to add immunotherapy to the lung cancer armamentarium were unsuccessful-BCG, IL-2, and interferon (IFN) all proved to be inactive in NSCLC. 4 More recently, multiple phase III vaccine trials were disappointingly negative, including the START and STOP studies (investigating tecemotide and belagenpumatucel-L, respectively) 5,6 and the MAGRIT study, which investigated the MAGE-A3 (melanoma-associated antigen) vaccine in the adjuvant setting. 7 The large breakthrough that brought immunotherapy to center stage came on the heels of a major paradigm shift in the late 2000s.…”