Immunotherapy of cancer with nonliving mycobacteria and cord factor (trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate) in aqueous medium.

Heat-killed BCG, cord factor (trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate), or killed BCG plus cord factor in aqueous medium, admixed with tumor cells and injected into the skin of guinea pigs, inhibited the growth of a hepatocellular carcinoma. Intralesional administration of killed BCG or Mycobacterium kansasii coated with cord factor, in the same medium, caused regression of established tumors in 48 and 45% of the treated animals, respectively.