Long-term Survival of Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Pulsed Dendritic Cells

Aim: This study aimed to determine the long-term survival of 30 dendritic cell (DC) vaccinated patients with metastatic renal cell cancer. Patients and Methods: Patients were treated with a therapeutic vaccination of pulsed DCs in one of three clinical phase I/II trials during the years 1999 - 2003. Results: Patients were followed up until 191 months (mean 65 days after DC therapy), when all patients had died. Total response to treatment was 40% with partial remission in 3%, mixed response in 7% and stable disease in 30%. The progressive disease rate was 60%. Long-term survival ranged from 3 to 191 months, with a mean survival of 59 months. Interestingly, patients who were treated previously with another form of immunotherapy showed a significantly improved probability of surviving. Mean long-term survival from the beginning of DC therapy was 21 months (1 to 75 months). Conclusion: Patients treated with DC vaccination seem to have a benefit in long-term survival. Renal cell cancer constitutes 2-4% of all malignant tumours (1) and has an incidence of about 8-9 persons per 100,000 each year, which is increasing (2). The age at which individuals are diagnosed with renal cell cancer peaks at an age between 50 and 70 years. More men than women are affected (3). Approximately 85% of renal cell carcinomas are adenocarcinomas. At the time of diagnosis, 30% of patients have metastases, mostly in lung, liver and bones (4).