Treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma with lymphoblastoid interferon and 5-fluorouracil: data of a phase Ii study
Barzacchi, M.C.; Nobile, M.T.; Sanguineti, O.; Sertoli, M.R.; Chiara, S.; Repetto, L.; Forno, G.; Lavarello, A.; Rosso, R.
Anticancer Research 14(5b): 2147-2149
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0250-7005 PMID: 7840514 Document Number: 435877
Many clinical trials have tested the combination of 5-fluorouracil and recombinant alpha-interferons in metastatic colorectal carcinoma. The efficacy of 5-fluorouracil and lymphoblastoid interferon was evaluated in a phase II study in which 31 patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma were enrolled. 5-Fluorouracil was administered at the dose of 600 mg/sqm bolus weekly and lymphoblastoid interferon was given intramuscularly at 3 million units every two days. All patients were evaluable for toxicity. Thirty patients were available for response: no complete response was recorded, three patients reached a partial response (10%), three a minor response (10%) and 18 progressed (59.4%). Overall median survival was 8 months. No grade IV toxicity was observed: in 2 patients grade III occurred and in 8 patients grade III fever and fatigue attributable to interferon developed. It appears that this combination does not yield better results than 5-fluorouracil alone.