[Effect of intrapleural and/or intraperitoneal lentinan therapy in carcinomatous pleuritis and peritonitis]

Seventeen lesions in fourteen patients with malignant pleural and/or peritoneal effusion were treated with the intrapleural and/or intraperitoneal Lentinan therapy (4 mg/week x 4). The following results were obtained. Malignant effusion disappeared in four lesions and diminished in two. In ten lesions, the cytological grade decreased. Totally, thirteen lesions (76.5%) revealed clinical effect. Toxicity, caused a high fever in only one case. Subpopulations (CD4, CD8, Leu7, CD8+ CD11+) of pleural or peritoneal effusion mononuclear cells (PEM) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) showed no change during the course of Lentinan therapy. NK and anti-Daudi activities of PEM tended to be augmented and high LAK activities of PEM were maintained by Lentinan therapy. However, NK activities of PBM after this therapy were significantly lower than before therapy (p less than 0.05). Augmentation of cytotoxicity in PEM induced by Lentinan may lead to clinical effect. Thus, this therapy may be useful for even patients with end-stage carcinoma.