A case of recurrent ovarian cancer successfully treated with adoptive immunotherapy and lentinan.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy is useful for the prevention of the post-operative recurrence of some types of cancer and, in combination with certain anticancer drugs, is expected to prolong survival time. However, the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy alone against advanced cancer has not yet been demonstrated. CASE REPORT: A 67-year-old woman with ovarian cancer who had undergone post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy suffered from recurrent cancer in the lymph nodes. A partial response to adoptive immunotherapy and the administration of the biological response modifier, lentinan containing beta-glucan as the principal component, was maintained for five months without the use of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Adoptive immunotherapy with lentinan alone was potentially useful for the treatment of lymph node metastases from ovarian cancer.