Interferon therapy in recurrent renal carcinoma.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy

Background:

• Recurrent renal carcinoma presents a significant clinical challenge.
• Previous treatments with progesterone and vinblastine were ineffective for progressive disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of human leukocyte interferon (HuIFN alpha) in patients with recurrent renal carcinoma.

Main Methods:

• Seven patients with recurrent renal carcinoma received HuIFN alpha therapy.
• Five patients were treated with escalating intramuscular doses (4-16 x 10^6 U/day) for at least 4 weeks.
• Two patients received intralesional IFN (20 x 10^6 U/dose).

Main Results:

• No serious side-effects were reported during the treatment period.
• No tumor response was observed in any of the seven patients treated with HuIFN alpha.

Conclusions:

• Human leukocyte interferon (HuIFN alpha) did not demonstrate efficacy in treating recurrent renal carcinoma in this patient cohort.
• Further research into novel therapeutic strategies for recurrent renal carcinoma is warranted.