Interleukin 2 Therapy for Disseminated Cancer-Reply

In Reply.—  Our article demonstrated that IL-2 administered in high doses was capable of mediating the regression of cancer in some patients with metastatic melanoma. Subsequent to this report, we have demonstrated that objective responses can be obtained in patients with renal cell cancer and have confirmed the efficacy of IL-2 therapy in additional patients with melanoma. Complete responses have been observed with both IL-2 therapy alone as well as with LAK cells. These are new treatments, but the first patient to show a complete response to therapy with IL-2 and LAK cells is alive without evidence of cancer two years after her original treatment.Dr Moertel's editorial, which focused on the media response to our earlier report of therapy with LAK cells and IL-2,¹ published in December 1985, reflects a misunderstanding of a major point of our report. These reports describe our experience with new approaches to immunotherapy