Exploring TIL Therapy for Recurrent Melanoma Treatment
Source: Targeted Oncology, May 2024
TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy is a promising new approach for treating advanced melanoma. It leverages the power of a patient’s own immune system to combat cancer cells.
Doctors first surgically remove a tumor and extract immune cells that have infiltrated the tumor. These TILs are then grown in a lab in large numbers. After undergoing a preconditioning regimen to prepare their immune system, the patient receives an infusion of these enhanced TILs back into their body. The reinfused TILs can recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively.
TIL therapy is still under investigation, but early results are encouraging. It has shown effectiveness in some patients with advanced melanoma who haven’t responded well to other treatments. Lifileucel (Amtagvi) is the first FDA-approved TIL therapy for melanoma. Here, Jose Lutzky, MD, a skin cancer physician at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the treatment .