Metastatic melanoma: transplenic immunostimulation--a new therapeutical alternative for an ever-challenging disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The successful management of metastatic melanoma is mostly relevant to the feasibility of a sustained immunostimulation requiring high doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2). Sustained immune response is initiated, in terms of cellular and humoral immunity, persisting for 15 days following the end of exogenous IL-2 transplenic administration. METHODOLOGY: We proceed to the transplenic immunostimulation using IL-2 suspended in lipiodolurografin emulsion through an arterial catheter, which is introduced into the splenic artery through laparotomy for the management of patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. Eligible for our study were 19 patients undergoing transplenic immunostimulation and locoregional or systemic chemotherapy, in relation to the site of the disease. In cases of metastatic liver melanoma, transtumoral immunostimulation was also carried out. RESULTS: Complete response to the regimen, partial response, stable disease and progressive disease were observed in 21%, 42%, 16%, and 21%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Transplenic immunostimulation has promising potentials in metastatic melanoma patients, on the basis of present results.