title: Combined levamisole with recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: a phase II study.
abstract: Adoptive immunotherapy (AI) with interleukin-2 (IL-2) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells is an antineoplastic modality in which immune-activated cells are administered to a host having cancer in an attempt to mediate tumor regression. Levamisole (LEV), an immune stimulant, has been suggested as having therapeutic effectiveness in a variety of cancers. After a phase I trial of recombinant IL-2 plus LEV, a phase II trial of this combination was conducted in patients who had advanced renal cell carcinoma. The regimen was IL-2 at 3 x 10(6) U/m2 daily x 5 plus LEV at 50 mg/m2 perorally three times a day x 5. Only one of the 22 eligible patients had a regression. It was a partial regression, 85 days in duration. The median time to treatment failure (refusal, progression, or off study because of toxicity) was 36 days. The only grade 4 toxicity reported was lethargy. This regimen is not recommended for further testing in patients who have advanced renal cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Creagan
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hestorff
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Suman
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mailliard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Krook
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kugler
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Marschke
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Michalak
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Tschetter
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007978:Levamisole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007978:Levamisole; C082598:aldesleukin