RECOMBINANT INTERFERON-ALPHA-2A PLUS 5-FLUOROURACIL FOR THE TREATMENTOF METASTATIC MELANOMA

The therapy of metastatic melanoma is limited by poor responses to kno wn chemotherapeutic agents. The report of Mulder et al. (Proc ASCO 199 2; 11: 347) raised the possibility of the known interaction between 5- fluorouracil and interferon-alpha 2a improving response rates in melan oma. This study was designed to examine the effects of 5-fluorouracil plus interferon-alpha 2a alone without the confounding effects of daca rbazine. Doses were chosen based on the earlier study rather than the higher doses used in colon cancer. Therapy for metastatic melanoma wit h 5-fluorouracil and interferon-alpha 2a is manageable in terms of tox icity. The major toxicities were lethargy, nausea/anorexia and flu-lik e symptoms. These were thought to be primarily attributable to interfe ron-alpha 2a. Only one case of severe diarrhoea occurred. The response rate of 14% is similar to the reported results of interferon-alpha 2a treatment alone. On these data, there is no evidence of synergy using this dose and schedule.