Current status of radioimmunoglobulins in the treatment of human malignancy

Radioimmunoglobulin therapy is a new treatment modality that is easily administered, well tolerated, and can be given on an outpatient basis. It is not, however, as simplistic an approach to cancer therapy as commonly thought. It incorporates the sciences of immunology, physiology, radiobiology, chemistry, and physics, as well as oncology, all of which must be understood if radioimmunoglobulin therapy is to reach its potential. Partial and complete remissions have been achieved while the clinical teams involved in this research are still in the process of defining materials, methods, and future clinical approaches. The authors enumerate the varied problems in the development of radioimmunoglobulin therapy, and report on the current status of clinical trials.