Induction of bone formation in an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus by adoptive immunotherapy involving intra-arterial injection of lymphokine-activated killer cells and recombinant interleukin-2 in combination with radiotherapy.

A patient with an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus was treated by adoptive immunotherapy involving intra-arterial injection of lymphokine-activated killer cells (a total number of 7 x 10(7) cells) and recombinant interleukin-2 (a total dose of 2.75 x 10(7) units) in combination with radiotherapy (60Co; total irradiation dose of 5,000 rads). Consequently, it was found that bone formation was induced in the treated tumor, which was then replaced completely by lamellar bone tissue with myxomatous stroma. This finding indicates that the tumor cells composing certain adenoid cystic carcinoma can be converted into normal-appearing, bone-forming cells by current therapy and this differentiation phenomenon leads to cure of the tumor.