Treatment of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma with a combination of interferon alfa and zidovudine.
BACKGROUND
Infection with the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I, a retrovirus, can cause a distinctive cancer, adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma. The median survival of patients with the acute and lymphomatous forms of the disease is short, despite the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy.


METHODS
We treated 19 patients with acute or lymphomatous forms of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma with oral zidovudine (200 mg five times daily) and interferon alfa (Intron A, 5 to 10 million units subcutaneously each day). Seven of these patients had either relapsed after multiagent cytotoxic chemotherapy or failed to respond to that treatment.


RESULTS
Major responses were achieved in 58 percent of the patients (11 of 19), including complete remission in 26 percent (5 of 19). Four patients in whom prior cytotoxic therapy had failed had major responses, two of which were complete remissions. Six patients have survived for more than 12 months, with the longest remission since the discontinuation of treatment lasting more than 59 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of zidovudine and interferon alfa has activity against adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma, even in patients in whom prior cytotoxic therapy has failed. This regimen should be evaluated further for its role in the treatment of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma.
Gill
P S
PS
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Harrington
W
W
Kaplan
M H
MH
Ribeiro
R C
RC
Bennett
J M
JM
Liebman
H A
HA
Bernstein-Singer
M
M
Espina
B M
BM
Cabral
L
L
Allen
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015215:Zidovudine