Erythema Nodosum in a Patient With Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated With Interleukin 2 and Lymphokine-Activated Killer Cells

Abstract

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> Systemic administration of high-dose recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) and autologous lymphokineactivated killer (LAK) cells has been reported to be effective in the treatment of advanced cancer.¹Toxic reactions are frequent and include fever, pruritus, rash, and myalgia.^1-3We recently observed a patient with renal cell carcinoma who developed erythema nodosum (EN) after a course of IL-2/LAK cell therapy. <h3>Report of a Case.—</h3> A 26-year-old woman with an 18-month history of biopsy-proved renal cell carcinoma with lymphatic and lung involvement was referred for evaluation of a rash, arthralgia, and leg swelling of ten days' duration. Three weeks prior to this episode, she had been discharged from Westchester Medical Center, where she had received, for the second time, a three-week course of IL-2/LAK cell therapy for her metastatic disease.⁴During that hospitalization, she had also received methadone, diazepam (Valium), Maalox, Demerol Compound, diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl), a