Clinical studies of recombinant interferon alfa-2a (Roferon-A) in cancer patients

A Phase I study of interferon alfa-2a was conducted in 20 patients with disseminated cancer to establish the relationship between dose and interferon-related side effects. Fever was the most common side effect, and was not dose-related. Other side effects not related to dose included flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and numbness of fingers and toes. A dose-response relationship was seen for leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and the elevation of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT). A Phase II study was then conducted in 641 patients to evaluate the efficacy of interferon alfa-2a in a number of disseminated malignant neoplasms. The 415 male and 226 female patients, almost all of whom had malignancies refractory to standard therapy, were treated with interferon alfa-2a at an initial daily dose of 3 X 10(6) U for 3 days. Doses were increased gradually at 3- to 7-day intervals until the therapeutic dosage was established. The daily dose could not exceed 50 X 10(6) U, and treatment was continued for at least one month. Efficacy rates, for 65 patients who achieved partial or complete responses, based on the total number of evaluable patients by cancer type were: 11/49 (22.4%), multiple myeloma; 4/21 (19%), lymphomas; 15/108 (13.8%), renal cell carcinoma; 2/30 (6.6%), bladder cancer; 4/39 (10.2%), brain tumors; 5/26 (19.2%), melanoma; 12/12 (100%), cutaneous lymphoma; 10/19 (52.6%), other skin cancers; 2/30 (6.6%), bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Overall, 65/371 (17.5%) of evaluable subjects responded.