COMPLETE RESPONSE OF METASTATIC RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA TO LOW-DOSE INTERFERON-GAMMA TREATMENT

The course of metastatic renal cell carcinoma may be positively influe nced by immunotherapeutic agents. We report a case of renal cell carci noma showing a complete response to once-weekly low-dose s. c. interfe ron-gamma (IFN gamma) treatment in multiple metastatic sites (lung, ch est wall, abdomen, vertebral body), but concomitantly developing a sol itary brain metastasis. High initial interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels retur ned to normal during IFN treatment suggesting that IFN gamma may have interrupted an autocrine IL-6/IL-6-receptor loop of the tumor cells. T he duration of complete remission in the extracerebral sites is now 46 + months. IFN gamma may be less active beyond the blood/brain barrier.