Necrotizing enterocolitis as an adverse effect of recombinant interleukin-2 and Ch14.18 in maintenance therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma.

Recombinant interleukin-2 is used with ch14.18/CHO to improve the cytotoxic activity of NK lymphocytes against neoplastic cells. The efficacy of this treatment is limited by its potential side effects. We report an unusual case of necrotizing enterocolitis associated with the administration of interleukin-2 and ch14.18/CHO in maintenance therapy for localized NMyc amplified neuroblastoma (NBL). This case highlights the potentially significant toxicity of this immunotherapy that is currently being tested in the high-risk NBL-1.5 protocol. Further, short-term, medium-term, and long-term follow-up in this patient population will be warranted to judge the potential benefit of this treatment versus the short-term, medium-term, and long-term side effects in a patient population with an outcome that is better than that of stage 4 NBL patients.