[Clinical trial of human lymphoblastoid interferon on advanced malignancy]

A clinical study on human lymphoblastoid interferon (HLBI) in various advanced malignant diseases was performed. HLBI was administered to a total of 25 patients with various advanced malignant diseases in order ot investigate antitumor effect and toxicity. The diseases evaluated were as follows: 8 multiple myeloma (MM), 2 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 2 adult T cell leukemia (ATL), 1 acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), 8 breast cancer, 3 gastric cancer and 1 ovarian cancer. Twenty-three patients received either 3 million or 6 million units of HLBI by daily intramuscular injection or every other day. One patient with ATL received 18 million units of HLBI by i. v. daily and 1 patient with ALL received 30.32 million units of HLBI i. v. daily. Tumor regression (PR) was observed in 2 patients with MM, each one patient with ATL and ALL, respectively. Major toxicities were pyrexia, myelosuppression, general malaise and G.I. toxicity. Several patients showed abnormality of hepatic or renal function. Two patients who received HLBI for more than a year developed cardiac toxicity.