Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapy

What Is Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy?

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is a new treatment for melanoma (a type of skin cancer) that has spread (metastasized). It’s a combination of immunotherapy and cellular therapy. In TIL therapy, we use immune cells (lymphocytes) from your own body to help you fight melanoma. These immune cells find and attack cancer cells.

TIL therapy is typically a one-time treatment. In clinical trials, TIL therapy effectively reduced tumor size in nearly one-third of patients. More than half of these patients had no evidence of cancer worsening or returning within a year of treatment.

Why Choose UCLA Health for TIL Therapy?

UCLA Health is one of a handful of centers nationwide offering this advanced treatment. We have a long history of research and innovation in cancer treatment and cellular therapies. Our team is proud to continue offering you the most effective leading-edge options in cancer care.

Additional highlights of our program include:

Established reputation: Our doctors have been using cellular therapies to treat patients for more than 50 years. We’ve been engaged in multiple clinical trials, including for TIL therapy, that have led to new and effective treatments. You can trust our longstanding reputation of excellence.
Exclusive treatment: You have access to treatments that aren’t widely available. TIL therapy is offered at only a handful of treatment centers in the region and nation.
Access to clinical trials: Our team is studying the effectiveness of TIL therapy for lung, colorectal, pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Eligible patients may have the opportunity to receive new treatments through clinical trials.

Who Is a Candidate for TIL Therapy?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TIL therapy for patients with melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer. To qualify for TIL therapy, patients must have:

Melanoma that has spread to other parts of their body (metastasized)
A history of trying other skin cancer treatments without success

TIL therapy isn’t right for everyone. Your health care provider will discuss whether or not you’re a good candidate for the treatment.

What Does TIL Therapy Involve?

TIL therapy starts with a surgical procedure to remove some tumor tissue. This tissue contains lymphocytes, which are made up of B cells and T cells. T cells are immune cells that your body develops to find and attack foreign substances, such as cancer cells.

We separate T cells from the tumor tissue and then infuse them back into your body. This process helps your body fight cancer.

During TIL treatment

During the first steps of TIL therapy:

You have surgery to remove a small piece of tumor tissue. This surgery may be an outpatient procedure, after which you go home the same day. Or it may be an inpatient procedure, after which you stay in the hospital. Your surgery type depends on the tumor’s location and size.
We send the tissue sample to a laboratory center, where they separate the T cells from the tumor tissue.
The T cells go through a growth process and multiply into billions of T cells.

After the T cells have multiplied, we infuse them back into your body:

You go to the hospital or our infusion center for chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy helps suppress your immune system so that the extra T cells can grow and survive in your body.
You get a cellular therapy infusion in the hospital. This infusion contains the billions of T cells made from the cells of your own body.
You receive a drug infusion of interleukin-2 (IL-2). IL-2 helps the T cells survive. You may get up to six doses of IL-2 over the course of several days.

You may experience some side effects from the IL-2 infusions. You will stay in the hospital for at least 48 hours after your last IL-2 infusion so we can watch you and treat any side effects, such as:

Chills
Fever
Low blood pressure

After TIL treatment

You typically stay in the hospital for about one week. After you’re discharged, you return to our clinic twice weekly for about three weeks. During these visits, we take blood samples to make sure your body is responding well to treatment. If you live far away, our team will help organize temporary lodging near the clinic.

If you’re doing well after three weeks, we recommend you begin follow-up visits with your referring oncology provider. You can return home if you’ve been staying in the area temporarily.

You will see our team three months, six months and one year after treatment. We monitor your health and make sure your body is still responding well.

Meet Our Team

Our doctors are innovators in cellular therapies and cancer treatments. We continually research the latest techniques to bring you the most advanced options. You receive exceptional care delivered with compassion.