Subcutaneous administration of interferon alpha and gamma in patients withmetastatic renal cell carcinoma

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is relatively resistant to both chem otherapy and radiotherapy. Response and survival of treatment with Interfer on-alpha (IFN-alpha) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were evaluated in pat ients with metastatic RCC. patients and Methods: Thirty-one patients with c onfirmed RCC were included in this study. Fifteen of 31 patients received i njection of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma three times a week. IFN-gamma was infus ed subcutaneously by microinfusion pump. Sixteen received IFN-alpha alone m ore than three times a week. Results: The overall response rate was 20.0 lo in the IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma group, and 12.5 % in the IFN-alpha alone gr oup. Long lasting stabilization of the disease (more than;12 months) was se en in 92.3 % of CR, PR or SD in the IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma group, as compa red with 71.4 % in the IFN-alpha alone group. Both groups differed signific antly in survival rate from the first treatment with IFN (p<0.05). Conclusi ons: A long lasting stabilization of the disease can be expected in patient s who were treated with our regimen of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma.