[Present status of cancer therapy in the field of dermatology]

1) Anti-idiotype antibody immunotherapy for stage IV melanoma. Kagesita et al. carried out phase I study for 24 cases of stage IV melanoma using a purified anti-idiotype antibody, MoAb MF 11-30, which was obtained from the HMW-MMA immune mice. On days 1, 8 and 29, its MoAb was subcutaneously injected at the doses of 0.5 to 4 mg. The anti- anti-idiotype antibody in serum, which appeared later and with a peak between week 4 to 6, was noted in 17 of 24 cases, respectively. 19 of 24 cases were evaluable, whereas 5 cases died dead by week 4. No CR case, 1 PR case (lasted for 64 weeks), 8 MR-SD cases (lasted for 6 to 84 weeks), and 10 PD cases, were noted. As to survival rate according to the difference in the anti anti-idiotype antibody titer, the higher survival rate was noted in the high titer group. 2) The efficacy of IFNs on CTL (mainly of mycosis fungoides). The initial doses of GI-3 were 3, 6 and 9 MU/body/day. Local injection was given daily or 2-3 times a week, whereas systemic injection was given daily, at least, for 4 weeks. CTL was, for the most part, of stage I to II. As to mycosis fungoides, the efficacy of muscular or intravenous injection was 35%, and that of local injection was 50%. The remission lasted for 4 weeks or longer with local injection as well as with systemics. 3) The re IL-2 (TGP-3) local or systemic administration for angiosarcoma. Each of the response rates of TGP-3 was 50% with local and 20% with systemic administration. Marked effectiveness, that is, remission (PR), was noted within week 2 from local injection at daily doses of 1,000 to 2,000 U, and could result in the complete response with a total 24,000U. A year and three months thereafter, neither relapse nor metastasis was noted. The local or systemic administration of TGP-3 was more effective for angiosarcoma with plaque lesions than with tumorous ones.