HOME THERAPY WITH RECOMBINANT INTERLEUKIN-2 AND INTERFERON-ALPHA-2B IN ADVANCED HUMAN MALIGNANCIES

The safety, tolerance, and clinical effects of a home therapy regimen of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and interferon-α2b (IFN-α2b) self injected subcutaneously have been assessed in 35 patients with advanced cancer refractory to standard therapy. 52 treatment cycles were given, each consisting of a 2-day rlL-2 pulse of 9·0 million IU/m2 every 12 h, followed by 6 weeks of rIL-2 1·8 million IU/m2 twice daily for 5 days per week and of IFN-α2b 5·0 million U/m2 thrice a week. The main adverse effects were fever, chills, nausea, anorexia, and hypotension and were limited to WHO grades of severity I and II in 29 of 35 patients. No treatment-related deaths occurred. The response rates among patients with renal-cell carcinoma were similar to those reported for high-dose intravenous regimens of interleukin-2 that are toxic and have to be given in hospital. © 1990.