Treatment of lung cancer by radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and methanol extraction residue of BCG (MER).Clinical and immunological studies

Abstract

Fifty-one patients with advanced lung cancer were divided at random into two groups. One group of 29 patients received the methanol extraction residue (MER) of Bacille-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in addition to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The other group of 22 patients was treated by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy alone. The immune status of the patients was evaluated by skin tests to three recall antigens and KLH and by in vitro lymphocyte stimulation to PHA and three recall antigens. The immune status of both groups was similar before and after conventional treatment. The cutaneous reactivity, as well as the in vitro lymphocyte reactivity, became stronger in the MER-treated group, as compared with the control group. The MER-treated patients had less distant metastases. In a comparable clinical stage the survival in the MER treated group was slightly but not significantly better. This study has shown that MER stimulates the immune response, can be well tolerated and has few side effects. Therefore, MER treatment of patients with minimal tumor load can ethically be done with hope of obtaining better results.

Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase inducibility and lymphoblast formation in lung cancer patients

“…Also in our study lymphocyte transformation was evaluated by the morphology of the cells rather than by measuring the incorporation of [3H]thymidine. However, there are reports by others who did not find depressed lymphocyte transformation in lung cancer patients (Silk, 1967;Sutherland et al, 1971;Robinson et al, 1977;Barnes et al, 1975).…”

Granuloma formation in patients after injection of methanol extraction residue (MER-GCG).

“…MER is a methanol extraction residue of BCG organisms killed by phenol and washed with acetone which has immunostimulatory properties (Weiss, 1972). It has been used recently for non-specific immunotherapy in cancer patients with beneficial effect on the cutaneous reactivity and on the in-vitro lymphocyte transformation responses (Robinson et al, 1975;1977).…”

A preliminary study of intravenous methanol extraction residue of BCG in treatment of advanced cancer

“…MER has been found to be a potent immunostimulator when given i.d. (Robinson et al, 1975(Robinson et al, , 1977 but has never been'given i.v. If MER could be administered i.v.…”

“…Previously, we have reported that i.d. injection of MER improved skin reactivity and the lymphocyte in vitro response to various antigens (Robinson et al, 1975(Robinson et al, , 1977. In the present study we have evaluated tolerance to i.v.…”