Dendritic cell vaccines against non-small cell lung cancer - an emerging therapeutic alternative.

Many clinical trials have been carried out or are in progress to assess the therapeutic potential of dendritic cell-based vaccines on cancer patients. Herewith, we describe the clinical trials of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) published in the literature. Although the number of clinical trials and NSCLC patients enrolled in these studies is small, it is possible to conclude that the administration of dendritic cells (DCs) by any route is safe and that a clinical benefit after their administration can be observed. These initial results encourage continued investigation in clinical trials into the benefit of DCs along with different strategies to enhance their immune response in this deadly disease.