microsphere-delivered cytokines in increasing tumor response in lymphocytes from patients with head and neck cancer

Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer

Summary: rationale: studying samples of tumor tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about how interleukin-2, interleukin-12, and gm-csf delivered in microspheres increase the body's ability to kill tumor cells. purpose: this laboratory study is looking at microsphere-delivered cytokines to see if they increase tumor response in lymphocytes from patients with head and neck cancer.

objectives: * determine whether local sustained delivery of cytokines (interleukin-2, interleukin-12, or sargramostim \[gm-csf\]) in biodegradable microspheres augments antitumor response in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (pbls) obtained from patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, as evaluated in a human/scid chimeric mouse model. * assess the potential of cytokine-loaded microspheres combined with dendritic cells (pulsed with tumor peptide) obtained from these patients to enhance long-term immunity against the tumor, as evaluated in a human/scid chimeric mouse model. * evaluate the antitumor effect of the more effective approach (objective i or ii) against established tumors in the mouse model. outline: biopsies of tumor are obtained during surgical resection. patients undergo phlebotomy or leukapheresis to obtain peripheral blood lymphocytes (pbls). pbls, tumor tissue, and cytokine-loaded microspheres are coengrafted into scid mice. tumor growth and immune response are determined. dendritic cells are obtained from pbls, expanded in culture, and pulsed with either autologous tumor cell lysates or peptide eluted from the tumor cells. the dendritic cells are coengrafted with tumor cells, pbls, and cytokine-loaded microspheres into scid mice. the mice are then challenged with autologous tumor cells, and antitumor response is determined. projected accrual: a total of 50 patients will be accrued for this study.

Eligibility criteria:
disease characteristics: * histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck * tumor tissue shows engraftment in severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice or growth in tissue culture patient characteristics: age * 20 to 80 performance status * not specified life expectancy * not specified hematopoietic * not specified hepatic * not specified renal * not specified other * not pregnant or nursing * fertile patients must use effective contraception * no known immunocompromised disease or condition * no social, physical, or psychiatric condition that would preclude leukapheresis prior concurrent therapy: biologic therapy * not specified chemotherapy * not specified endocrine therapy * not specified radiotherapy * not specified surgery * not specified other * no concurrent immunosuppressive medication

Keywords: recurrent metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary untreated metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary stage i squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx stage i squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx stage i squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity stage i squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx stage i squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx stage i squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity stage ii squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx stage ii squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx stage ii squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity stage ii squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx stage ii squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx stage ii squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity stage iii squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx stage iii squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx stage iii squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity stage iii squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx stage iii squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx stage iii squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity stage iv squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx stage iv squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx stage iv squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity stage iv squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx stage iv squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx stage iv squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity recurrent salivary gland cancer salivary gland squamous cell carcinoma stage i salivary gland cancer stage ii salivary gland cancer stage iii salivary gland cancer stage iv salivary gland cancer