A combination of vinblastine and doxorubicin with interferon alpha

Advanced renal cell carcinoma still has poor overall treatment results, whatever chemotherapy is used. We treated 11 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma with vinblastine (4 mg/m2) and doxorubicin (12 mg/m2) weekly, combined with recombinant IFN-alpha 2a given 3 x 10(6) IU s.c. three times per week during the first week, and 9 x 10(6) IU three times per week during the second week, and then on an ongoing basis 18 x 10(6) IU three times per week from the third week. The treatment of all patients had to be interrupted after 6 to 9 weeks because of leukopenia. Median survival was 6 months, and two partial responses were observed. We conclude that this regimen proved to be excessively toxic and failed to show significant advances compared with two-drug combination.