Analysis of the results of radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy on the background of immunotherapy of patients with cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

BACKGROUND: Advances in medicine, especially in the field of immunology in oncology, contribute to the development of new ways and methods of treating cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Preclinical and clinical studies of cytokine and dendritic cell therapy, blockade of immune checkpoints, T cell uptake, treatment with monoclonal antibodies and peptide vac-cines are performed. Some of these immunotherapeutic drugs are introduced into medical practice. Changes in the immune system of patients with cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx justify the feasibility of further targeted research of new immunotherapeutic effects on malignant tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The article represents the data of the analysis of antitumor immunity in 61 patients with cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx who re-ceived (chemo) radiotherapy against the background of immunotherapy with the immune agent containing alpha/beta-defensins, and compares laboratory indices with clinical observation of tumor regression in patients. The influence of the immune agent containing alpha/beta-defensins was determined by analyzing the changes in the absolute and relative numbers of lymphocytes, the number of CD3+ T cells, natural killers (NK) and natural killer T cells (NKT cells).

RESULTS: The preparation containing alpha/beta-defensins has been found to enhance cytostatic antitumor effect of (chemo) radiotherapy, having a dose-dependent and cytoprotective effects considering NK cells, so the immune response to the tumor development is enhanced with the use of this agent. The data of laboratory examination of immune status correspond to the direct results of tumor regression in patients with cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Clinically higher regression indices are in patients receiving radiotherapy with immunotherapy at doses of 40 and 60mg.

CONCLUSION: We confirmed the antitumor efficacy of the immunomodulatory agent containing alpha/beta-defensins in the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx and the reasonability of its use  on the clinic.