Abstract
The safety, tolerance, and clinical effects of a home therapy regimen of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-alpha 2b) self injected subcutaneously have been assessed in 35 patients with advanced cancer refractory to standard therapy. 52 treatment cycles were given, each consisting of a 2-day rIL-2 pulse of 9.0 million IU/m2 every 12 h, followed by 6 weeks of rIL-2 1.8 million IU/m2 twice daily for 5 days per week and of IFN-alpha 2b 5.0 million U/m2 thrice a week. The main adverse effects were fever, chills, nausea, anorexia, and hypotension and were limited to WHO grades of severity I and II in 29 of 35 patients. No treatment-related deaths occurred. The response rates among patients with renal-cell carcinoma were similar to those reported for high-dose intravenous regimens of interleukin-2 that are toxic and have to be given in hospital.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Aged
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Antibodies / analysis
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Carcinoma, Renal Cell / blood
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Carcinoma, Renal Cell / therapy*
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Drug Administration Schedule
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Drug Evaluation
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Drug Therapy, Combination
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Humans
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Injections, Subcutaneous
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Interferon Type I / therapeutic use*
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Interferon alpha-2
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Interferon-alpha / administration & dosage
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Interferon-alpha / adverse effects
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Interferon-alpha / immunology
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Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use*
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Interleukin-2 / administration & dosage
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Interleukin-2 / adverse effects
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Interleukin-2 / immunology
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Interleukin-2 / therapeutic use*
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Kidney Neoplasms / blood
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Kidney Neoplasms / therapy*
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Melanoma / blood
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Melanoma / therapy*
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Middle Aged
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Recombinant Proteins / administration & dosage
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Recombinant Proteins / adverse effects
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Recombinant Proteins / immunology
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Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use
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Self Administration*
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Severity of Illness Index
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Thyroid Function Tests
Substances
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Antibodies
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Interferon Type I
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Interferon alpha-2
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Interferon-alpha
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Interleukin-2
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Recombinant Proteins