Abstract
Sixty-five patients with advanced colorectal cancer were randomised to one of two schedules of recombinant alpha-2 interferon (IFN). In the first study, 36 patients received single-agent IFN, either 50×106 U/m2 intravenously on 5 consecutive days every 4 weeks, or 20×106 U/m2 subcutaneously three times per week. No tumour responses were seen and toxicity was unacceptable. In the second study, 29 patients received IFN in two similar schedules, but the dose of IFN was reduced to 20×106 U/m2 per day in the intravenous arm and to 5×106 U/m2 per day in the subcutaneous arm. In addition these patients were administered intravenous 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), 250–500 mg/m2 per day on the first 5 days of each 4-weekly cycle. Although the toxicity of this second study was tolerable, only one short-lived partial remission was observed. Alpha-2 interferon, alone or in combination with 5-FU, is ineffective in advanced colorectal cancer.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Moertel CG (1978) Chemotherapy of gastrointestinal cancers. N Engl J Med 299:1049–1052
Gutterman JU, Blumenschein GR, Alexanian R, Yap HY, Buzdar AU, Cabanillas F, Hortobagyi GN, Hersh EM, Rasmussen SL, Harmon M, Kramer M, Pestka S (1980) Leukocyte interferon-induced tumour regression in human metastatic breast cancer, multiple myeloma and malignant lymphoma. Ann Intern Med 93:399–406
Louie AC, Gallagher G, Sikora K, Levy R, Rosenberg SA, Merigan TC (1981) Follow-up observation of the effect of human leucocyte interferon in Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Blood 58:712–718
Quesada JR, Swanson DA, Trinidade A, Yap HY, Buzdar AU, Cabanillas F, Hortobagyi GN, Hersh EM, Rasmussen SL, Harmon M, Kramer M, Pestka S (1983) Renal cell carcinoma: anti-tumour effects of leucocyte interferon. Cancer Res 43:940–947
Hengst JCD, Kempf RA, Kan-Mitchell J, Pham AT, Grunberg SM, Kortes VL, Mitchell MS (1983) Immunological effects of recombinant interferon-2 in cancer patients. J Biol Response Mod 2:516–527
Miyoshi T, Ogawa S, Kanamori T, Nobuhara M, Namba M (1983) Interferon potentiates cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorouracil on cell proliferation of established human cell lines originating from neoplastic tissues. Cancer Lett 17:239–247
Namba M, Yamamoto S, Tanaka H, Kanamori T, Nobuhara M, Kimoto T (1984) In vitro and in vivo studies of potentiation of cytotoxic effects of anti-cancer drugs or Cobalt-60 gamma ray by interferon on human neoplastic cell lines. Cancer 54:2262–2267
Miller AB, Hoogstraten B, Staquet M, Winkler A (1981) Reporting results of cancer treatment. Cancer 47:207–214
Lundell G, Blomgren H, Cedermark B, Silfversward C, Theve T, Ohman U (1984) High dose rDNA human alpha-2 interferon therapy in patients with advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma: a phase II study. Radiother Oncol 1:325–332
Niederle N, Kurschel E, Schmidt CG (1984) Biologischer Effekt von rekombinierten Leukozyten-alpha-Interferon bei metastasierten Kolorektalen Karzinomen. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 109:779–782
Figlin RA, Callaghan M, Sarna G (1983) Phase II trial of alpha (human leucocyte) interferon administered in adenocarcinoma of the colon/rectum. Cancer Treat Rep 67:493–494
Chaplinski T, Laszlo J, Moore J, Silverman P (1983) Phase II trial of lymphoblastoid interferon in metastatic colon carcinoma. Cancer Treat Rep 67:1009–1012
Neefe JR, Silgals R, Ayoob M, Schein PS (1984) Minimal activity of recombinant clone A interferon in metastatic colon cancer. J Biol Response Mod 3:366–370
Silgals RM, Ahlgren JD, Neefe JR, Rothman J, Rudnick S, Galicky P, Schein PS (1984) A phase II trial of high-dose intravenous interferon alpha-2 in advanced colorectal cancer. Cancer 54:2257–2261
Eggermont AM, Weimar W, Marquet RL, Lameris JD, Jeekel J (1985) Phase II trial of high-dose recombinant leucocyte alpha-2 interferon for metastatic colorectal cancer without previous systemic treatment. Cancer Treat Rep 69(2):185–187
Flodgren P, Hugander A, Sjogren HO (1985) Recombinant leucocyte A-interferon as single agent therapy or in combination with cimetidine in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. Acta Radiol [Oncol] 24 Fasc 1:25–33
Marquet RL, Westbroek DL, Jeekel J (1984) Interferon treatment of a transplantable rat colon adenocarcinoma: importance of tumour site. Int J Cancer 33:689–692
Ernstoff MS, Rudnick S, Kirkwood JM (1983) Comparative toxicity of two alpha interferon preparations given by two different routes, in three phase I–II trials. Proc Am Fed Cancer Res 31:408 A (Abstract)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clark, P.I., Slevin, M.L., Reznek, R.H. et al. Two randomised phase II trials of intermittent intravenous versus subcutaneous alpha-2 interferon alone (Trial 1) and in combination with 5-fluorouracil (Trial 2) in advanced colorectal cancer. Int J Colorect Dis 2, 26–29 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01648994
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01648994