TIL Therapy for Melanoma - Mayo Clinic in Florida

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is a new treatment option for advanced or metastatic melanoma. Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida, is one of few centers in the Southeast offering TIL therapy.

FDA-approved TIL therapy combines high-dose chemotherapy and immune stimulation, reengineering your body’s own T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells. TIL therapy requires expert care in a hospital with advanced infrastructure. Mayo Clinic’s state-of-the-art hospital is uniquely equipped to deliver complex cell therapies requiring inpatient support.

Eligibility is determined after a multidisciplinary review by our melanoma team. You may be a candidate for TIL therapy if you:

Have advanced or metastatic melanoma.
Have tumor tissue at a location that is safe for surgical removal and use in this therapy
Experienced cancer progression after standard immunotherapy such as anti-PD1 or anti-CTLA4 therapy.
Are healthy enough for surgery and treatment
Are an adult and generally under age 65, though older candidates may be eligible depending on health status.

Treatment takes about three weeks and includes:

Tumor collection. A surgical team removes a small portion of your tumor.
Cell expansion. The tumor is sent to a specialized facility where immune cells (TILs) are extracted and multiplied over several weeks.
Preconditioning chemotherapy. Before receiving the TILs, you receive one week of chemotherapy to prepare your immune system for the incoming TIL cells.
TIL infusion. The expanded TILs are infused back into the patient intravenously.
Supportive therapy. After TIL therapy, you receive high dose interleukin-2 (IL-2), a powerful immune stimulation agent to support TIL activity.
Inpatient recovery. Patients typically stay in the hospital for 7–10 days following treatment to monitor and manage side effects.

Side effects can vary. Your care team will monitor you closely during the hospital stay and provide supportive care to manage symptoms such as fatigue, fever, low blood counts, or flu-like reactions from the immune-boosting medication.

Mayo Clinic in Florida is one of the top cancer centers in the Southeast, according to U.S. News & World Report. Our multidisciplinary team model allows us to offer the most recent melanoma treatment advances, to ensure you get the exact right treatment plan for your specific cancer. Our clinicians are involved in ongoing immunotherapy research and collaborate closely with national partners to bring patients the latest innovations in melanoma care.

Your team will develop a personalized, comprehensive treatment plan with you to remove the melanoma and optimize your quality of life and long-term health.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy to treat advanced melanoma at Mayo Clinic

Who is a candidate for TIL therapy?

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