Age does not impair the efficacy of immunochemotherapy in patients with metastatic renal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Based on the increasing proportion of elderly cancer patients, we compared the efficacy of subcutaneous cytokine based home therapy in older (age > or = 60 years) and younger (age < 60 years) patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.


METHODS
As a rule, patients at an age of 60 years or older received a 20% dose reduction of s.c. IL-2. Treatment consisted of (A) s.c. interferon-alpha2a (s.c. INF-alpha2a), s.c. interleukin-2 (s.c. IL-2), (B) s.c. IFN-alpha2a, s.c. IL-2 and i.v. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or (C) s.c. IFN-alpha2a, s.c. IL-2 and i.v. 5-FU combined with p.o. 13-cis-retinoic acid (p.o. 13cRA).


RESULTS
Patient age groups > or = 60 years (n=174) and < 60 years (n=251) showed no significant difference in objective response (27% versus 31%), in median overall survival (22 months versus 19 months), and in progression-free survival (6 months versus 5 months). Within the elderly patients group, median overall survival was 20 months (pts. 60-64 years) versus 23 months (pts. > or = 65 years) and median progression-free survival was 4 months (pts. 60-64 years) versus 8 months (pts. > or = 65 years).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that patient age and related IL-2 dose reduction do not impair the efficacy of s.c.-IL-2 plus s.c.-INF-2a based outpatient immunochemotherapy in metastatic renal carcinoma.
Atzpodien
J
J
Fachklinik Hornheide an der Universität Münster, Dorbaumstr. 300, 48157 Münster, Germany. sekrprofatzpodien@yahoo.de
Wandert
T
T
Reitz
M
M
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018575:Home Care Services, Hospital-Based; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000628:therapy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005472:Fluorouracil