Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy targeting Wilms' tumor 1 in patients with recurrent malignant glioma.

Object: Dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccination is considered a potentially effective therapy against advanced cancer. The authors conducted a Phase I study to investigate the safety and immunomonitoring of Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1)-pulsed DC vaccination therapy for patients with relapsed malignant glioma.

Methods: WT1-pulsed and/or autologous tumor lysate-pulsed DC vaccination therapy was performed in patients with relapsed malignant gliomas.

[Survey of gemcitabine treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer in 20 hospitals of Nagano Prefecture].

To establish an effective therapy for pancreatic cancer, we made a retrospective survey of gemcitabine treatment performed at 20 hospitals in Nagano Prefecture. We analyzed data of 106 patients (64 men and 42 women, median age 66 years (33-83 years old)), half of whom had stage IV disease. Gemcitabine was administered for 3 consecutive weeks with one week rest in 57 patients, biweekly in 30 patients, initially for 3 weeks with 1 week rest and switched to biweekly schedule to 15 patients, and with another regimen to 4 patients.

[Clinical problems in gemcitabine treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancer in the elderly--a multicentric retrospective study of 53 cases].

In Gemcitabine treatment, elderly patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer are more likely to suffer from haematological and non-haematological adverse effects than non-elderly patients. Forty percent of the elderly patients were dropped from the initial protocol due to the adverse effects, mainly because of non-haematological events or symptoms. To avoid adverse effects, the administration schedule for Gemcitabine tended to be less often and at a lower dose for elderly patients among members of the Nagano Pancreatic Cancer Study Group.