Combination of thermal ablation and activated functional killer cells immunotherapy for cancer: A retrospective study

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the effect of thermal ablation combined with activated functional killer (AFK) cells immunotherapy for patients with malignant tumors. Materials and Methods: A cohort of 10 patients with malignancies received thermal ablation combined with AFK cells immunotherapy. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, laboratory test, and postoperative complications were assessed. Results: The success rate of the combination therapy was 100% and no severe complications occurred. Five patients maintained in PFS (50%) during the follow-up. The median PFS was 11 months (range 3.5-16.75 months). The hemoglobin (P = 0.023), hematocrit (P = 0.034), and lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.023); neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.038), neutrophil ratio (P = 0.016), albumin (P = 0.006), and alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.029); CA-125 (P = 0.033); and D-dimer (P = 0.011) changed significant after ablation. Whereas the white blood cell count (P = 0.003), neutrophil count (P = 0.024), lymphocyte count (P =0.003), monocyte ratio (P = 0.008), and eosinophil ratio (P = 0.005) changed significantly after combination therapy. The lymphocytes (P = 0.001) in the surviving patients increased more significantly after treatment. After the combination therapy, the percentage of CD3+ cells (P = 0.016) and CD3+CD8+cells (P = 0.002) increased, while CD3-CD16+CD56+(P = 0.002) and CD4+/CD8+(P = 0.016) decreased. Conclusion: Combination of thermal ablation and AFK cells immunotherapy is a safe and effective method for patients with malignancy. And adoptive immunotherapy with AFK cells may be helpful to prevent recurrence after thermal ablation in patients with advanced cancer.