title: Long-lasting complete remission of pulmonary metastases consequent to renal cell carcinoma obtained with interferon-beta therapy: review of the literature and a case report.
abstract: This case report describes a complete remission of pulmonary metastases, consequent to renal cancer, achieved with interferon-beta therapy. After nephrectomy (July 1990), this female patient was proposed for therapeutic assessment: vinblastine chemotherapy was carried out for 10 cycles, whereas concomitant immunotherapy of interferon-alpha was discontinued after 30 days owing to lack of tolerability. In replacement, interferon-beta administration from the 5th cycle of chemotherapy at the dose of 3 MIU 3 times a week was well tolerated. Interferon-beta was interrupted 27 months later, due to an increase in transaminase levels. Partial remission of pulmonary metastases was assessed after 9 months of interferon-beta therapy, and a complete remission was assessed after 1 and 2 years of therapy. In November 1994, the patient was still in good clinical conditions and disease-free after 37 months from the achievement of complete remission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Hospital of Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scoponi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Torresi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Giuseppe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016899:Interferon-beta