Recurrent peritoneal serous carcinoma that was unmanageable with paclitaxel-carboplatin therapy responded to autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine

Successful monotherapy with autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine for a Stage IV uterine cancer patient who rejected rational chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment

Key Clinical Message

To overcome patient-initiated treatment refusal because of fear of experiencing severe negative adverse events, mild immunotherapy using a cancer vaccine such as the autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine should be considered.

Abstract

A patient who refused chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment for Stage IV uterine cancer after displaying circulating tumor cells and high microsatellite instability received monotherapy with autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine (AFTV). Following treatment, we observed regression of multiple lung metastases, suggesting that AFTV is an attractive treatment option.

Rate of Clinical Complete Response for 1 Year or More in Bone-Metastatic Breast Cancer after Comprehensive Treatments including Autologous Formalin-Fixed Tumor Vaccine

Introduction

No effective treatment has been developed for bone-metastatic breast cancer. We found 3 cases with clinical complete response (cCR) of the bone metastasis and longer overall survival of the retrospectively examined cohort treated comprehensively including autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine (AFTV).

Patients and Methods

AFTV was prepared individually for each patient from their own formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues.

Results

Three patients maintained cCR status of the bone metastasis for 17 months or more. Rate of cCR for 1 year or more appeared to be 15% (3/20) after comprehensive treatments including AFTV. The median overall survival time (60.0 months) and the 3- to 8-year survival rates after diagnosis of bone metastasis were greater than those of historical control cohorts in Japan (1988-2002) and in the nationwide population-based cohort study of Denmark (1999-2007).

Conclusion

Bone-metastatic breast cancer may be curable after comprehensive treatments including AFTV, although larger scale clinical trial is required.