Local administration trials of interleukin-2 for head and neck cancer

Recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) has been administered locally in 20 patients with head and neck cancer. Two complete responses in lower lip cancer and 1 partial response in lingual cancer have been obtained. Immunohistological study reveals that tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), including activated T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, are increased after rIL-2 use. Intraarterial chemotherapy, performed subsequently to the local use of rIL-2 results in a dramatic decrease in tumor size within a short time, and a high frequency of CR cases is observed. Local use of rIL-2 is beneficial for treatment of head and neck cancers, and induction immunochemotherapy combining locally used rIL-2 and arterially infused anticancer drugs plays an important role in a multidisciplinary treatment for these cancers.