– Medical treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma has undergone many changes since the eighties when therapeutical interest shifted to immunotherapy, due to description of spontaneous regression of pulmonary metastasis after nephrectomy and the fact that the illness was refractory to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. First reports of complete response and partial response (about 20%) obtained by interferon led to research resulting in the discovery and use of new drugs (interleukine) and immunocompetent cells (LAK and TIL cells) capable of increasing the percentage of response, but with very serious side effects (IL-2 i.v.). The association of interferon-interleukine administered subcutaneously is the most common and most effective therapy. The association between these drugs (IFN, IL-2) and immunocompentent cells (LAK and TIL cells) will have to be assessed in the future because, even if the first experiences are favourable, follow-up periods and patient numbers are still too small.
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