Interleukin-2 immunotherapy against transplanted mammary cancer: survival time depends on initial hematological status

Earlier, we demonstrated a prognostic value of some routine laboratory clinical parameters to predict mammary tumor appearance rate and efficacy of interleukin-2 (IL-2) immunotherapy for the only early appearing transplanted mouse mammary carcinoma. In this work, blood samples were taken from intact old mouse BLRB males before mammary carcinoma inoculation and IL-2 treatment (2x10 5 IU, 13 and 22 days post transplantation). Then seventeen hematological parameters were analyzed for the treated and control mice in connection with their survival time. On average, IL-2 application resulted in a significant tumor growth inhibition; however, survival of treated mice was not improved significantly. In conclusion, the advantage of the IL-2 application in mammary carcinoma bearing mice was dependent on originally good physical condition of intact old mice before carcinoma cell transplantation; and five routine laboratory clinical parameter values predicted the benefit of the IL-2 immunotherapy.