Outpatient intravenous interleukin-2 with famotidine has activity in metastatic melanoma.
Daily short intravenous interleukin-2 (IL-2) infusions have been developed to decrease toxicity while maintaining the anticancer activity of this agent against melanoma. Such IL-2 schedules have previously been shown to promote lymphokine-activated killer cell (LAK) activity. Famotidine may increase LAK activity by increasing IL-2 internalization by the IL-2 receptor on lymphocytes. Twenty-one patients with metastatic melanoma were treated with IL-2 18 million IU/m² intravenously (i.v.) over 15-30 minutes and famotidine 20 mg i.v. daily for 3 days for 6 consecutive weeks on an outpatient basis. Cycles were repeated every 8 weeks.


METHODS
13 males/8 females, median age, 51 (range: 26-79), and median Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, 1; common metastatic sites: lymph nodes (16), lungs (14), subcutaneous (8), liver (7), and bone (7). Prior systemic therapy: chemotherapy (7); IL-2 (7); and interferon (5). Most common toxicities were myalgia/arthralgia, rigors, nausea/emesis, and mild elevation of liver function tests. No patients required hospitalization for toxicity of therapy. One patient (5%) has had a complete response (ongoing at 29+ months), while 4 other patients (19%) had partial responses (total response rate: 24%; 95% confidence interval: 9%-48%). Responses occurred in lung, spleen, bones, lymph nodes, and subcutaneous sites. Median response duration=20+ months. Outpatient intravenous IL-2 and famotidine has activity in melanoma.
Department of Medical Oncology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California, USA. walter.quan@ctca-hope.com
Walter D Y
WD
Quan
Francine M
FM
Quan
Mia
M
Perez
Erin
E
Johnson
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015738:Famotidine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010045:Outpatients; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015738:Famotidine