INTERFERON-ALPHA-2B AND MEGESTROL-ACETATE IN THE TREATMENT OF ADVANCED RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA - A PHASE-II STUDY

Interferon-alpha has been used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma, and megestrol acetate has been shown to improve the quality of life o f patients who have cancer. We combined interferon alpha-2b, 10 millio n IU/m(2) subcutaneously 5 consecutive days per week, with megestrol a cetate, 80 mg orally twice a day, in 15 patients who had advanced rena l cell carcinoma. Only 6 (40%) had a prior nephrectomy, and most had d isease in the lung and other sites. There were no complete or partial responders to this treatment, although stable disease was achieved in 5 (33%) patients. The treatment was excessively toxic, with 12 (86%) p atients requiring dose modification or discontinuation of treatment du e to fatigue. We conclude that interferon alpha-2b and megestrol aceta te is an excessively toxic, inactive regimen: at least in a group of p atients who have advanced disease with a poor prognosis.