Immunotherapy of advanced gynecologic cancer patients utilizing mumps virus.

Immunotherapy utilizing mumps virus (MV) was applied to 22 patients with advanced gynecologic cancer. Therapy schedule was based on the established concept of augmenting antitumor immunity utilizing virus-reactive helper T cell (Th) activity in a mouse system. Briefly, presensitization of cancer patients was performed subcutaneously (s.c.) with 10(8) PFU of mumps virus (MV). After increasing the anti-MV antibody activity of patients, 10(9) PFU of MV was administered locally or systemically. Marked clinical response was obtained by local (intraperitoneal or intrathoracic) injection of MV in patients with ascites or pleural fluid who had received preimmunization with MV. However, unprimed patients or patients with large tumor mass did not respond well to MV therapy. None of the patients showed untoward response to MV therapy except for controllable transient fever.