title: Treatment of mycosis fungoides with recombinant interferon-alpha 2a2 alone and in combination with etretinate.
abstract: Eleven patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) were treated with recombinant alpha-interferon (rIFN-alpha 2a2) in combination with etretinate (seven patients) or alone. One patient, who also received etretinate, went into complete remission and remained without signs of MF after 18 months. Six patients experienced partial remission; one of these was treated with rIFN-alpha 2a alone and was clinically in complete remission, but had still a pleomorphic skin infiltrate. Two patients were non-evaluable, and two stopped therapy due to progressive disease. Five patients discontinued therapy due to side-effects although three had partial remission of their disease. Only four patients received 12 months therapy. The study shows that rIFN-alpha 2a in combination with etretinate or alone can induce remission of MF.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005050:Etretinate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005050:Etretinate