title: Intracavitary beta-interferon for the management of pleural and/or abdominal effusions in patients with advanced cancer refractory to chemotherapy.
abstract: Twenty-three cancer patients with pleural and/or abdominal effusion refractory to chemotherapy were treated with intracavitary beta-interferon after drainage. The overall response rate at 30 days was 35% for the whole group of patients, 25% for those with pleural effusion, and 40% for those with ascites. In 15 patients the mean time to re-accumulation of fluid after drainage only was 8.7 days, while it approached 30.3 days after intracavitary beta-interferon. This difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). The treatment was well tolerated with only mild and transient pain in 3 cases.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oncology, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gebbia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gebbia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmeri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rausa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016899:Interferon-beta