Renal cell carcinoma is an orphan
disease with an incidence of less than 1.6:10.000. The median age of patients
at primary diagnosis is 60 years and the male to female ratio is 3:2. Until now
only
a 1997 initiated prospective randomized phase-III trial showed a
significant effect in overall survival after radical nephrectomy accompanied by
treatment with an autologous renal tumor cell vaccine.
Furthermore, by comparing data
from a compassionate use program with a historical group of patients observed
for more than 10 years and treated by radical nephrectomy, May et al.
demonstrated the same significant effect on the overall survival (42.3 months)
for T3 tumors.
Discussions on common tumor
markers or tumor associated antigens (TAA) as potential targets for
immunotherapy are ongoing especially since authorities like the EMA and the FDA
request additional information about the potency and potential risks of these
autologous applied antigens.
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