TIL treatments answers pls

I only know a little bit about it myself, but here is a trial in my area about it that might explain the process some:

In Vitro Expanded Autologous Invariant Natural Killer Cells in Cancer

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00631072?term=melanoma+boston&recr=Open&rank=25

Also, Dana Farber just concluded a trial of this and published the results here:

http://www.dana-farber.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/New-technique-extends-cancer-fighting-cells%E2%80%99-potency-in-melanoma-patients.aspx

Hope that helps!

Michelle, wife of Don, Stage IV

I only know a little bit about it myself, but here is a trial in my area about it that might explain the process some:

In Vitro Expanded Autologous Invariant Natural Killer Cells in Cancer

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00631072?term=melanoma+boston&recr=Open&rank=25

Also, Dana Farber just concluded a trial of this and published the results here:

http://www.dana-farber.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/New-technique-extends-cancer-fighting-cells%E2%80%99-potency-in-melanoma-patients.aspx

Hope that helps!

Michelle, wife of Don, Stage IV

I am not familiar with the abbreviation TIL, so could you tell me the full name of the treatment
please?

From your description, it sounds like some form of adoptive cell therapy which is a very advanced
and complex way of trying to eradicate melanoma. I have posted about this recently and I am very
impressed by the potential of this type of approach. It is still early days and there is much
that doctors aren't sure about regarding who will respond and who won't. However, a few people
have had spectacular results.

I would certainly think that if Derek is eligible, then he should seriously consider it.

Best wishes.

Frank from Australia

I am not familiar with the abbreviation TIL, so could you tell me the full name of the treatment
please?

From your description, it sounds like some form of adoptive cell therapy which is a very advanced
and complex way of trying to eradicate melanoma. I have posted about this recently and I am very
impressed by the potential of this type of approach. It is still early days and there is much
that doctors aren't sure about regarding who will respond and who won't. However, a few people
have had spectacular results.

I would certainly think that if Derek is eligible, then he should seriously consider it.

Best wishes.

Frank from Australia

There is a trial in my area, and I strongly considered it but my mets were judged to be too small and there were concerns that they wouldn't grow enough cells, so I did Ipi instead.  If I have another recurrence TIL will be at the top of my list. Here's how the trial in my area worked:

Surgery to remove one met, or a good-sized sample

The TILs (Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes–immune cells that are found in the tumor) are cultured for about a month.  I read someplace that about half the mm tumors yield TILs.

Once the TILs are ready, you receive a week of chemo to knock down your regular lymphocytes.  Then the TILs are infused back you.

You receive IL-2 after the TILs, which is thought to help the TILs multiply.  The idea is that these TILs obviously knew that the mm was bad, because they were hanging out there.  So you knock out your regular lymophocytes, which in general weren't controlling your mm, and replace them with these superhero cells that "know" they're supposed to go after mm. 

That's kind of the comic-book explanation, but that's how I can remember it.

TIL takes time to find out if i t's going to work, but then again so does Ipi.  Good luck with your decision.

Katy

There is a trial in my area, and I strongly considered it but my mets were judged to be too small and there were concerns that they wouldn't grow enough cells, so I did Ipi instead.  If I have another recurrence TIL will be at the top of my list. Here's how the trial in my area worked:

Surgery to remove one met, or a good-sized sample

The TILs (Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes–immune cells that are found in the tumor) are cultured for about a month.  I read someplace that about half the mm tumors yield TILs.

Once the TILs are ready, you receive a week of chemo to knock down your regular lymphocytes.  Then the TILs are infused back you.

You receive IL-2 after the TILs, which is thought to help the TILs multiply.  The idea is that these TILs obviously knew that the mm was bad, because they were hanging out there.  So you knock out your regular lymophocytes, which in general weren't controlling your mm, and replace them with these superhero cells that "know" they're supposed to go after mm. 

That's kind of the comic-book explanation, but that's how I can remember it.

TIL takes time to find out if i t's going to work, but then again so does Ipi.  Good luck with your decision.

Katy

For the most up to date information on TIL Therapy, go to the NIH website at

http://bethesdatrials.cancer.gov/clinical-research/cts.aspx?ProtocolID=NCI-10-C-0117 to read about it and see the trials at NCI in Bethesda, MD.  Dr. Steven Rosenberg is the pioneer in the field and he, and the NCI and NIH, support other hospitals working in this field.  Currrently, there are 4 locations (all east coast) in the US and 1 in Israel that offer TIL Therapy.  I spoke with NIH on Wednesday and they need at least a 2cm tumor that they can harvest in order to grow the cells.  I am waiting for the result of my PET/CT done yesterday at UCSF to see if I meet the criteria. 

After reading all of the available data on response rates, it is far better than anything out there for Stage IV melanoma but the stringent criteria needs to be met to qualify.  The therapy is not readily available, because there is no "drug" that the pharmaceutical companies can make a boatload of cash on by manufacturing pills or solutions.  TIL requires LOTS of skilled technicians and time, and is a custom approach for each patient, not a "one pill fits all approach".   I believe that this individualized approach of TIL is the future of cancer therapy and of an eventual cure.   Hope this helps.  Robert

For the most up to date information on TIL Therapy, go to the NIH website at

http://bethesdatrials.cancer.gov/clinical-research/cts.aspx?ProtocolID=NCI-10-C-0117 to read about it and see the trials at NCI in Bethesda, MD.  Dr. Steven Rosenberg is the pioneer in the field and he, and the NCI and NIH, support other hospitals working in this field.  Currrently, there are 4 locations (all east coast) in the US and 1 in Israel that offer TIL Therapy.  I spoke with NIH on Wednesday and they need at least a 2cm tumor that they can harvest in order to grow the cells.  I am waiting for the result of my PET/CT done yesterday at UCSF to see if I meet the criteria. 

After reading all of the available data on response rates, it is far better than anything out there for Stage IV melanoma but the stringent criteria needs to be met to qualify.  The therapy is not readily available, because there is no "drug" that the pharmaceutical companies can make a boatload of cash on by manufacturing pills or solutions.  TIL requires LOTS of skilled technicians and time, and is a custom approach for each patient, not a "one pill fits all approach".   I believe that this individualized approach of TIL is the future of cancer therapy and of an eventual cure.   Hope this helps.  Robert