Cancer treatment by blocking host-induced il-1 in combination with radiotherapy

A method of treating a cancer patient, the method comprising:

• a. measuring IL-1α, IL-1β or both in a biological sample obtained from said cancer patient at a time of 20 hours or more after a session of treatment with radiotherapy, to determine the level of circulating IL-1α, IL-1β or both in response to radiotherapy in said cancer patient, wherein said biological sample is selected from blood plasma, whole blood, blood serum or peripheral blood mononuclear cells;
• b. obtaining a reference level for said circulating IL-1α, IL-1β or both in said cancer patient before said session of treatment with said radiotherapy;
• c. establishing a fold-change in said circulating IL-1α, IL-1β or both from said reference level to said level in response to radiotherapy;
• d. determining said cancer patient has a non-favorable response to said treatment with said radiotherapy if said fold-change is an increase of at least 1.5-fold;
• and
• e. treating said cancer patient determined to have a non-favorable response with said radiotherapy in combination with a blocking agent selected from an IL-1R antagonist, an anti-IL-1β neutralizing monoclonal antibody or an anti-IL-1R neutralizing monoclonal antibody;
• thereby treating a cancer patient.