Locoregional immunotherapy of human ovarian cancer: preliminary results

Ten patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma (5 in FIGO stage III and 5 in stage IV), following the failure of repeated chemotherapy courses, were submitted to i.p. radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Several antibodies (HMFG1, HMFG2, H17E2, B72.3) were employed. The antibody choice was made on the basis both of immunohistochemistry and immunoscintigraphy results. The mean dose administered in each single course was 17 mg, 3 patients underwent two treatments and 2 patients were injected three times. The isotope employed was 131I (mean dose 92 mCi). The early or late untoward effects were negligible. All patients developed anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) which reduced, during the further RIT, the MoAbs' effective half-life. The estimated radiation dose delivered to the tumour ranged from 2910 to 11,000 cGy. Both wholebody and liver radiation burden resulted in tolerable limits while the thyroid irradiation was high. In 3 patients the RIT result was ineffective; in 2 cases a temporary ascitis staunch was obtained. In 2 cases the tumour growth was slower than expected and in 3 patients instrumental evidence of partial tumour reduction, still lasting after 4-11 months, was observed.