Clinical Efficacy Of Chemotherapy Combined With Cellular Immunotherapy For The Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective:This study was designed to investigate the efficiency and safety ofapplication of NK cells, γδT cells and CIK cells, to the patients with SCLC asmaintenance therapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis of our Hospital between May of2009and June of2012,fifty-eight patients with SCLC who got initial therapy were divided intotwo groups: control group(chemotherapy,29patients) and study group(receiving cellular immunotherapy and chemotherapy,29patients).Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse effects wereexamined.Results:Of the29patients in each group,17had limited-stage disease and12hadextensive-stage disease. PFS showed no statistical significant between the twogroups (P=0.094); however, OS in the study group were significantly higherthan that of control group (23vs.14.5months, P=0.005). Among thelimited-stage patients, there was no statistical significant between the two groupin terms of PFS (P=0.509), but OS in the study group was superior to the control group (29.5vs.14.8months, P=0.033).Among the extensive-stagepatients, both PFS and OS in the study group were longer than the control group(8vs.5.7months, P=0.049and17.5vs.12months, P=0.038). The study groupwere divided into two groups:ACI for≥3courses and ACI <3courses.Themedian PFS of17patients who received ACI for≥3courses (12.5months) waslonger than that of12patients who received<3courses of the treatments (5months), but there is no statistical difference between the two groups (P=0.094),The median OS of patients who received ACI for≥3courses (26months) wassignificantly longer than that of patients who received the treatments for <3courses (12months)(p=0.020). Only two patients felt mild fatigue after infusionand one patient had transient fever. No significant adverse reaction was found inthe patients with cellular immunotherapy.Conclusion:These preliminary results suggest that cellular immunotherapy as therapyprolongs survival in patients with SCLC was efficient and safe. To give morecontinuous courses of cellular immunotherapy may prolong survival.It wouldprovide a novel strategy for the treatment of SCLC, although further study wasneeded.