[Active combination immunochemotherapy with interferon-alpha, interleukin-2 and gemcitabine for four patients with...

Immunochemotherapy consisting of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and gemcitabine (GEM) for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. A partial response maintained for 15 months, was obtained in one case resistant to IFN-alpha and IL-2 of para-aortic lymph node metastases (case 1). A minor response with 30% reduction of lung metastasis was obtained in one IFN-alpha resistant case, and the duration was 6 months (case 2). In one case, in contra-lateral renal metastasis, no disease progression was obtained for 6 months (case 3). One case with resistance to IFN-alpha and IL-2, and who had preoperative abnormalities of corrected serum calcium, serum c-reactive protein and hemoglobin, had progressive disease and died of cancer after 6 months (case 4). Grade 3 toxicity was noted in leucopenia (4/4), anemia (1/4), and nausea/ vomiting (1/4). Although the response duration was short, the combination immunochemotherapy consisting of IFN-alpha, IL-2 and GEM may be a promising salvage regimen for the patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.