title: Subcutaneous interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha therapy associated with cisplatin monochemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.
abstract: The anti-tumoral activity of interleukin-2 (IL-2) is well-documented. Although the response rate with this cytokine is low, it appears to be improved when associated with interferon-alpha (INF-alpha) and/or cytotoxic drugs. Aim of this work was to study the efficacy and tolerance of an ambulatory treatment using subcutaneous, low-dose IL-2 with subcutaneous INF-alpha and chemotherapy. We report a multicenter study of ambulatory treatment combining subcutaneous (SC) low-dose IL-2 (9 x 10(6) IU) with SC INF-alpha-2a (3 x 10(6) IU) and cisplatin (100 mg/m2) in 33 patients (13 women and 20 men, 22 to 66 years of age) with metastatic malignant melanoma. Metastases were mainly nodal (54.5%) and pulmonary (51.5%). For 81.8% of patients, this therapy constituted the firstline treatment. The overall response rate at the end of the first maintenance course was 30.3% (3 complete responses and 7 partial responses). Adverse effects were observed in 28 patients (84.8%), but were most often minor (grade 1 or 2 on the WHO toxicity scale). The results confirmed the good tolerance to SC IL-2 and its suitability for ambulatory therapy, as well as the potential benefit of associating IL-2 with cisplatin in the treatment of metastatic melanoma (a possibility considered in two previous studies).
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hôtel-Dieu, CHU place A.-Ricordeau, 44093 Nantes Cedex 01, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrès
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cupissol
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guillot
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Avril
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drèno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D002945:Cisplatin