Intratumoral Injection of OK-432 for Inoperable Gastric Cancer

Abstract

Fifteen patients with inoperable gastric cancer underwent repeated intratumoral injection of OK-432. Seven showed a reddened tumor surface following the initial two or three injections. In most of these a marked change in configuration followed. Five of these patents showed a marked reduction of the tumor, while eight patients in whom no color change appeared initially later showed no or minor morphological changes, and the rate of effectiveness was estimated as 33.3%. There seemed to be no correlation between the effectivity and the patients' background factors. In ten patients for whom serial histological findings were obtained by biopsy, inflammatory cellular infiltration to the tumor parenchyma had increased. Among these, plasma cells were predominant in five patients, and the rate of effectiveness was the highest in these patients. The systemic immunological responses were determined, and did not show significant enhancement of the reactivity except in the case of the PPD skin test. In terms of the survival rate, there was no significant difference between these patients and patients who were treated in other ways. However, among the patients who received injections of OK-432, those with a good local response survived longer than those who had a poor or no response. Bleeding from the tumor surface was a complication that required much attention. One third of the patients were required to have a blood transfusion. Fever was a commonly seen side effect, however, it is noteworthy that the higher the body temperature, the better was the local response.