[Interferon alfa in the treatment of malignant lymphomas]

In follicular lymphomas with a low malignancy combined treatment (interferon alpha and chemotherapy) achieves the same number of remissions as chemotherapy alone, remissions after combined treatment are longer. Maintenance treatment with interferon alpha prolongs the remissions period. Maintenance treatment with interferon alpha can be recommended as standard treatment. For combined initial treatment it is important to define the optimal time schedule and dosage of interferon. Interferon alpha holds its place in the treatment of skin lymphomas where it leads in a great proportion of lymphomas to remission, and in angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy. In chronic lymphatic leukaemia its administration is restricted so far to clinical trials.