Autoimmunity Resulting From Cytokine Treatment Predicts Long-Term Survival in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer

Abstract

The evaluation of thyroid autoantibodies during cytokine therapy could be a useful prognostic marker for patients with renal cell carcinoma who benefit from cytokine treatment. IL-2- and IFN-alpha2-induced tumor control and prolonged survival may require breaking of immunologic tolerance against self-antigens.