title: Interleukin-2: clinical applications.
abstract: Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a promising immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, acute myelogenous leukemia, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. While high-dose IL-2 regimens have shown clinical benefit in the treatment of melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, serious dose-limiting toxicities have limited their clinical use in a broader group of patients. Low-dose IL-2 therapy has produced disappointing clinical response rates in melanoma. While the response rates to low-dose IL-2 have been better in renal cell carcinoma, the quality of these responses relative to those seen with high-dose IL-2 therapy remains a concern. The addition of IL-2 to chemotherapeutic regimens (biochemotherapy) has been associated with overall response rates of up to 60% in patients with metastatic melanoma, but this has yet to be translated into a confirmed improvement in survival. It remains to be determined whether further modifications of IL-2-based regimens or the addition of newer agents to IL-2 will produce better tumor response and survival.
authors.affiliation: Cutaneous Oncology & Biologic Therapy Programs, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Atkins
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007376:Interleukin-2