INTRAPERITONEAL INTERFERON-ALPHA-2B FOR PATIENTS WITH NO MACROSCOPIC DISEASE FOLLOWING 2ND-LOOK LAPAROTOMY

Low to intermediate doses of interferon-alpha-2b (10-30 million units every 2 weeks for six cycles), were administered intraperitoneally to 14 patients with no macroscopic disease at the completion of second-lo ok laparotomy. Eight patients had a negative second-look so the treatm ent was given as consolidation therapy. Five patients had a microscopi cally positive second-look and one patient had small macroscopic disea se completely resected. Toxicity was low. However, four of the eight p atients with a negative second-look relapsed (two in the peritoneum) a nd five of the other six patients have also relapsed, all in the perit oneum. Four of these latter six patients received intraperitoneal cisp latinum in addition to the interferon. Mean time to relapse for the gr oup with a negative second-look was 18 months, while it was 16 months for the group with microscopic residual disease. Median follow-up was 38 months. Intraperitoneal interferon in the dosages given in this tri al does not seem to be effective as consolidation therapy, nor is it e ffective for patients with microscopic residual disease at second-look laparotomy.