title: Interferon alternating with chemotherapy for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: A prospective randomized trial tested the hypothesis that interferon and cytotoxic chemotherapy delivered sequentially would be synergistic and would increase the response rate in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Thirty-six patients were entered and randomized to chemotherapy only (5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, mitomycin, and cis-platin) vs. interferon alternating with the same chemotherapy. Only 4 of 32 evaluable patients (13%), 2 in each arm, had a major response. Three patients in the alternating arm had minor responses. Complete, partial, and minor responses totaled 7 (22%). All four patients whose only disease was lung metastasis had some evidence of response (p = 0.001). Interferon alternating with chemotherapy did not appear to improve the major response rate over chemotherapy alone. Responses in metastatic renal cell carcinoma appear confined to a favorable subset of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Dexeus
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Logothetis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sella
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Finn
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012074:Remission Induction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D008937:Mitomycins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil