title: Renal cell carcinoma: treatment with interferon.
abstract: All IFN types--alpha, beta, and gamma--appear to have some antitumor activity against RCC. IFNa has been extensively studied and has demonstrated objective response rates between 15% and 20% when administered in a variety of doses, routes, and schedules. Intermediate dose levels may be associated with greater response rates than low dose levels, and high dose levels are poorly tolerated and usually require dose reduction because of toxicity. Among the means of administration, intramuscular or subcutaneous routes are favored because of logistic advantages; in the low- and intermediate-dose ranges chronic sequential administration (daily, three times a week, or five days per week) is tolerable and may ameliorate toxicity; none of these therapeutic recommendations can be proven to be superior, with respect to response, to several other alternatives. No survival advantage can yet be proven to result from IFN therapy for patients with RCC. Studies evaluating combinations of IFNa and other IFNs or cytotoxic agents have demonstrated increased toxicity. Although responses have been seen in the limited number of studies performed to date, these studies do not appear to support in vivo suggestions of dramatic synergism between these agents. Knowledge of the therapeutic use of IFN is in its infancy. Although the response rates described in this review are unimpressive, they are commensurate with the best available conventional therapy for RCC. As clinical strategies for the use of IFN improve, so too, might the therapeutic efficacy in RCC improve.
mesh_terms: D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007372:Interferons