INTERFERON MAINTENANCE THERAPY FOR SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER - IMPROVEMENT IN LONG-TERM SURVIVAL

Two hundred thirty-seven patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), who had responded to induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy, were ran domly assigned to receive low-dose natural interferon-alpha (nIFN alph a) for 6 months; or 6 cycles of maintenance chemotherapy (CAP); or no maintenance therapy (control group). Although there was no difference in median survival between the groups, there was a significant differe nce (p = 0.04) in the long-term survival of patients with Limited dise ase, in favour of nIFN alpha maintenance therapy. This finding is now confirmed by a further analysis of the most recent data. Ten percent o f patients in the IFN group survived for five years or more, but the 5 -year-survival rate in the CAP and control groups was only two percent . All long-term survivors had good performance status. The majority ha d limited disease and had achieved a complete response to the inductio n therapy. These results suggest that interferon-alpha improves the lo ng-term survival of SCLC patients for whom other prognostic factors ar e favorable.