title: Combined interferon alpha with levamisole in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of interferon alpha-2b (IFN-alpha2b) and levamisole treatment regimen in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Seventeen patients with metastatic RCC were treated using recombinant IFN-alpha2b at a dose of 10 MU/m2 body surface subcutaneously three times in a week, for 3 months, with levamisole 50 mg t.d.s orally on days 1-3 on alternate weeks. The mean follow-up period was 10.7 (range 2-23) months. We achieved 1 complete response (lasting for 12+ months) and 1 partial response (lasting for 15 months), for an objective response rate of 11.7%. A further 7 patients (41%) had a stabilization of disease. The overall toxicity was moderate, with mainly grade I or II side effects. Grade III toxicities reported among 3 patients including vomiting (2 patients) and anorexia (1 patient). There was no treatment related death. Although additions of levamisole to IFN-alpha do not result in any significant increase in treatment toxicity, the response rate appears to be no better than IFN-alpha monotherapy reported in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ankara University, School of Medicine, Turkey. drhaksoy@hotmail.com
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baltaci
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Türkölmez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seçkiner
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bedük
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D007978:Levamisole / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007978:Levamisole