[Immunochemotherapeutic treatment of gastrointestinal neoplasms]

The results obtained with a three-fold association of drugs (VCR, 5Fu, MeCCNU) in the treatment of 68 patients suffering from advanced carcinoma of the gastroenteric system followed up over an approximately four year period at the Savona Oncology Centre are reported. The percentage of positive responses (CR + PR) was 75% for carcinoma of the colon-rectum and 44.4% for stomach cancer. The results obtained in intestinal carcinoma proved more satisfactory than those reported in the literature. This could be attributed to the contemporaneous use of Corynebacterium parvum which boosts the immunitary state and so enhances the defences of the host organism, making it more sensitive to polychemotherapy. In the light of this hypothesis, stress is laid on the need to use an immunochemotherapy approach for the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the gastroenteric apparatus.