[Interferon therapy for brain tumor patients (author's transl)]

Nine cases of recurrent and metastatic brain tumors were treated by Hu-IFN-alpha. It was given intramuscularly and singly to those who finished the usual treatments of surgical removal and 60Co irradiation more than 6 months before, to exclude their effects on tumors. They were divided into 2 groups of small dosage (fifty thousands units weekly) and large dosage (3 million units every other day). The total dosage of IFN varied from about 2 million units for the small dosage group to 264 million units for the large dosage group. No side effects were noted. In two cases of six which were followed up over 4 months, the tumors regressed about 50% on serial CT. However, IFN was not effective on the tumors which had already showed a rapid growth before IFN administration. Almost all the patients showed improvements in their general condition, PPD and PHA skin test, peripheral lymphocyte counts and natural killer cell activities.