Combination therapy with recombinant interferon alpha-21 (rIFN alpha 2a) and recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) in metastatic renal cell cancer
Jurincic-Winkler, C.; Horlbeck, R.; Klippel, K.F.
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift 105(10): 271-276
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0043-5325 PMID: 8517056 Document Number: 420713
Sixteen patients with histologically-proven metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were treated after nephrectomy with a daily continuous 24-hour i.v. infusion of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rIL-2) at a dosage of 18 x 10(6) IU/m2 daily for 5 days per week and of recombinant interferon alpha-2a (rIFN-alpha 2a) 5 x 10(6) IU/m2 subcutaneously on days 2 and 4. The treatment cycles were repeated at 3-weekly intervals. Altogether 38 treatment cycles were given, but only 14/16 patients were evaluable for response rates. The main toxic side effects were fever, nausea, chills, anorexia, hypotension and hepatotoxic syndrome (Toxicity grades I-III, WHO). There were 3 objective responses among the 14 evaluable patients (21%); 2 patients have remained in complete remission for 12 and 8 months, respectively until now whilst 1 has shown a partial response for 21 months.