RECOMBINANT INTERFERON-ALPHA-2A AS MAINTENANCE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED STAGE CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA RESPONDING TO CHEMOTHERAPY

Forty-five patients suffering from advanced B-CLL were randomized to receive interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) or no treatment after achieving complete remission or partial response, following a chemotherapy protocol called MiNa. The two groups were fully comparable in terms of clinical characteristics and level of response obtained by chemotherapy. IFN-alpha was given at a dose of 3 megaunits three times a week intramuscularly for 1 year. The IFN-treated patient group showed a significantly longer duration of response and a less frequent incidence of infections as compared to the no treatment group. A minority of patients who had had partial response to chemotherapy obtained complete remission while on therapy with IFN-alpha. Toxicity was mild and patient compliance was excellent. We conclude that IFN-alpha may have a role as maintenance therapy in CLL for patients responding to chemotherapy.