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Unexplained Spontaneous Regression and Alpha‐interferon as Treatment for Metastatic Renal Carcinoma
Author(s) -
OLIVER R. T. D.,
NETHERSELL A. B. W.,
BOTTOMLEY J. M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
british journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 0007-1331
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1989.tb05147.x
Subject(s) - medicine , renal cell carcinoma , alpha interferon , incidence (geometry) , disease , lung , carcinoma , oncology , interferon alfa , kidney disease , gastroenterology , interferon , immunotherapy , cancer , immunology , physics , optics
Summary— A series of 73 patients with measurable metastatic disease referred to a tertiary referral centre for consideration for an experimental treatment protocol were entered into a surveillance protocol in order to establish the incidence of spontaneous regression. Initially, patients were taken off the study if metastases showed > 25% increase in products of bidimensional measurement but with increasing confidence patients went into therapy protocols only following the development of symptomatic progression. We observed 3 complete and 2 partial unexplained spontaneous regressions and a further 4 patients had prolonged stable disease for more than 12 months. A group of 21 patients on progression subsequently received treatment with alpha‐interferon (Wellferon) as part of a multicentre study which included an additional 61 cases; 12 responded (3 surveillance relapse patients and 9 others). Patients with lung metastases only had the highest response rate (10/17 compared with 5 unexplained responses seen in 38 such patients on surveillance). These results confirm that alpha‐interferon is active against metastatic renal carcinoma and that the responses are not totally explicable by spontaneous regression.