Biological Response Modifier Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

One of the important factors in improving the prognosis of head and neck cancer patients treated with combined therapy is the enhancement of the immunological response of the patients.
Biological Response Modifiers (BRM) are expected to increase this response in cancer patients by augmenting host defence mechanisms. A comparative study was performed on patients with head and neck cancer, who received primary therapy, to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of BRM (lentinan). Twenty two patients were injected intravenously with 2mg of lentinan once a week (lentinan group).
A control group of 23 patients received no lentinan therapy. The clinical effectiveness of lentinan therapy was verified by significant improvements in some of the immune responses. Natural killer cell activity and phytohemagglutinin biogenesis were increased, and immunosuppressive acidic protein and squamous cell carcinoma related antigen were decreased in the lentinan group.
Prolongation of the life span occurred in advanced stage III and stage N patients.
These results suggest that lentinan therapy is useful to some extent in the treatment of patients with head and neck cancer.