INTERLEUKIN-2 AND LANREOTIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF MEDULLARY THYROID CANCER: IN VITRO AND IN VIVO STUDIES

Context: To date no efficacious treatments are available for advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Objective: We investigated in vitro and in vivo a new strategy for the therapy of MTC, combining human recombinant IL-2 with lanreotide (LAN), a somatostatin analog. Methods: The in vitro effects of LAN on the sensitivity of TT cells, a MTC cell line, to IL-2–stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined by a lactate dehydrogenase release assay. In addition, we evaluated the toxicity, the effects on quality of life, and the antitumor activity of sc low-dose IL-2 in combination with LAN (90 mg every 28 days) in a series of 6 patients with symptomatic and advanced MTC. Results: The cytotoxicity of IL-2–activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells was significantly increased in TT cells treated with LAN or LAN plus IL-2 compared with that in TT cells without treatment. The therapy was well tolerated, and a statistically significant improvement of quality of life was observed in patie...