TREATMENT OF METASTATIC COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA WITH LYMPHOBLASTOID INTERFERON AND 5-FLUOROURACIL - DATA OF A PHASE-II STUDY

Many clinical trials have tested the combination of 5-fluorouracil and recombinant alfa interferons in metastatic colorectal carcinoma. The efficafy of 5-fluorouracil and lymphoblastoid interferon was evaluated in a phase II study in which 31 patients with advanced colorectal car cinoma were enrolled. 5-Fluorouracil was administered at the dose of 6 00 mg/sqm bolus weekly and lymphoblastoid interferon was given intramu sculary at 3 million units every two days. All patients were evaluable for toxicity. Thirty patients were available for response: no complet e response was recorded, three patients reached a partial response (10 %), three a minor response (10%) and 18 progressed (59,4%). Overall me diam survival was 8 months. No grade IV toxicity was observed: in 2 pa tients grade III occurred and in 8 patients grade III fever and fatigu e attributable to interferon developed. It appears that this combinati on does not yield better results than 5-fluorouracil alone.