Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Advanced Melanoma

The spontaneous regression of certain cancers (eg, melanoma) supports the idea that an affected individual's immune system can delay tumor progression and, on rare occasions, eliminate tumors altogether. These observations have led to research into various immunologic therapies designed to stimulate a person's own immune system. Adoptive immunotherapy is a method of activating lymphocytes and/or other types of cells for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. This particular type of therapy removes cells from the affected individual, processes them for a period of time, and then infuses them back into the individual. This review focuses specifically on adoptive immunotherapy using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in individuals with melanoma.