[Non-small cell lung cancer--immunocell BAK (BRM activated killer) therapy]

We enrolled in this study 14 immunosuppressed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) outpatients whose IAP level in serum were over 580 microg/ml and 26 immunoreactive outpatients whose IAP level in serum were under 580 microg/ml. After giving informed consent, patients were treated with BAK therapy on an outpatient basis. Treated with BAK therapy, the mean survival of immunosuppressed patients was 5.2 months, on the other hand, one of immunoreactive patients was 26.3 months. The difference in survival between 2 groups was significant (p<0.01). A stage IV NSCLC patient whose serum IAP is under 580 microg/ml is good indication for BAK therapy. The favorable clinical response in lung cancer patients to BAK treatment may be due to the fact that lungs are the first exposed to BAK cells via the blood stream. BAK therapy has a life prolonging effect with no apparent adverse effects for advanced NSCLC patients.