[New aspects of interferon therapy in malignant diseases]

Recombinant Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) preparations are now used for more than 10 years for treatment of hematological, oncological and viral diseases. New insights into the influence of IFN on the metabolism of cytostatic agents, i.e. biochemical modulation, opens a new spectrum of combination therapies. The efficacy of locoregional administration (intraperitoneal, -pleural, perilesional, intravesical) is probably based on a direct effect of this agent on both tumor and effector cells. Inhibition of angiogenesis is one of the proposed mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of IFN in life-threatening hemangiomas and might have also some potency in the adjuvant therapy of cancer. Presently IFN is used in combination with biological response modifiers, cytokines and especially a synergistic therapeutic effect is documented with retinoids. The possibility of direct stimulating effects of IFN on the immune system should be considered particularly in future studies.