EFFICACY OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA ( RTNF-ALPHA) ASSOCIATED TO INTERFERON-GAMMA (IFN-GAMMA) AND TO CHEMOTHERAPY IN ISOLATED LIMB PERFUSION FOR INOPERABLE MALIGNANT-MELANOMA, SOFT-TISSUE SARCOMA AND EPIDERMOID CARCINOMA - A 4-YEAR EXPERIENCE
F. Lejeune et al., EFFICACY OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA ( RTNF-ALPHA) ASSOCIATED TO INTERFERON-GAMMA (IFN-GAMMA) AND TO CHEMOTHERAPY IN ISOLATED LIMB PERFUSION FOR INOPERABLE MALIGNANT-MELANOMA, SOFT-TISSUE SARCOMA AND EPIDERMOID CARCINOMA - A 4-YEAR EXPERIENCE, Bulletin du cancer, 82(7), 1995, pp. 561-567
The authors review their experience of 4 years with isolated limb perf
usion for the application of high dose TNF-alpha associated to IFN-gam
ma melphalan for the treatment of regionally advanced tumours such as
malignant melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma and epidermoid carcinoma. In m
alignant melanoma, the complete remission rate reaches 91%. In irresec
table soft tissue sarcoma, this treatment when used as a neoadjuvant t
reatment saves the limb from amputation in 87.5% of the cases. Similar
results are obtained for epidermoid carcinoma. With the regional appl
ication of high doses of TNF-alpha associated to chemotherapy and IFN-
gamma it has been possible to validate the concept of a strategy based
on a dual targeting, that is the selective impact of the intratumoral
vessels by TNF-alpha and of the tumour cells by chemotherapy. This ap
proach appears to be the treatment of choice for locally advanced tumo
urs of the limbs. However, as a single therapy, this procedure should
be considered in melanoma as an induction therapy, and in sarcoma, as
a preoperative treatment.