TREATMENT OF METASTATIC COLORECTAL-CANCER PATIENTS WITH 5-FLUOROURACIL IN COMBINATION WITH RECOMBINANT SUBCUTANEOUS HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-2 ANDALPHA-INTERFERON
J. Atzpodien et al., TREATMENT OF METASTATIC COLORECTAL-CANCER PATIENTS WITH 5-FLUOROURACIL IN COMBINATION WITH RECOMBINANT SUBCUTANEOUS HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-2 ANDALPHA-INTERFERON, Oncology, 51(3), 1994, pp. 273-275
We treated 14 patients with progressive metastatic colorectal cancer,
using a combination of subcutaneous recombinant human interleukin-2 (4
.8 x 10(6) IU/m(2) three times daily on days 1 and 22, and twice daily
on days 2 and 23, followed by 2.4 x 10(6) IU/m(2) twice daily on days
3-5, 8-12, 24-26, and on 5 consecutive days per week, starting day 29
), recombinant human interferon-alpha 2a (5.0 x 10(6) U/m(2) thrice we
ekly), and 5-fluorouracil (750 mg/m(2) i.v. bolus on days 15-19, and a
t weekly intervals thereafter, with a 1-week off-therapy interval ever
y 4 weeks). Therapy was continued until disease progression occurred.
Four (29%) and 8 (57%) evaluable patients achieved partial remission a
nd stable disease, respectively; median response duration was 5.9 mont
hs. Toxicity of this regimen was moderate; the most common side effect
s were thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, nausea/vomiting, anorexia, malais
e and fevers in all patients, along with diarrhea (63%) and mucositis
(54%). Less than 10% of patients developed WHO grade IV toxicity; no t
oxic deaths occurred. Efficacy of this combination was not substantial
ly different from alternative 5-fluorouracil-based regimens.