T. Kinouchi et al., TREATMENT OF ADVANCED RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA WITH A COMBINATION OF HUMAN LYMPHOBLASTOID INTERFERON-ALPHA AND CIMETIDINE, The Journal of urology, 157(5), 1997, pp. 1604-1607
Purpose: We examined whether cimetidine could augment the efficacy of
interferon-alpha therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma. Materials
and Methods: Of 31 male and 6 female patients treated with interferon-
alpha and cimetidine 21 had metastases at diagnosis and 15 had a recur
rence after nephrectomy. One patient had a primary tumor with thrombus
in the inferior vena cava. Lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha was admini
stered at 5 megaunits daily intramuscularly 5 to 7 days a week for at
least 8 weeks, and cimetidine was administered orally at 800 mg. daily
in 4 divided doses. The evaluable tumors included 30 in the lung, 6 l
ymph nodes, 5 bone, 4 kidney and 1 inferior vena cava. Results: Combin
ed therapy with interferon-alpha and cimetidine resulted in a complete
response in 7 patients, a partial response in 8, stable disease in 12
and progression in 10. The objective response rate was 41%. The lung
metastasis showed the best response to combined therapy. The 5-year su
rvival rates for patients with and without response, and overall were
74, 20 and 41% respectively. Histopathologically, high grade tumors ha
d a better response to combined therapy than did low grade tumors. Con
clusions: Combined therapy with interferon-alpha and cimetidine for ad
vanced renal cell carcinoma resulted in a definitively good response.
A prospective randomized trial should be performed to elucidate the ef
ficacy of the combined therapy.