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Treatment of advanced renal cell cancer with recombinant interferon alpha as a single agent and in combination with medroxyprogesterone acetate

A randomized multicenter trial

  • Original Papers
  • Clinical Oncology or Epidemiology
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Summary

The response rates in metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) after chemotherapy, hormonal treatment, or immunotherapy rarely exceed 15%. Recently, interferon alpha (IFNα) was used for treatment of this disease in several studies which also demonstrated response rates of 15%. In order to test whether IFN therapy combined with hormones would result in higher response rates we compared single agent IFN therapy with a combined therapy of rIFNα 2C plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in a randomized multicenter trial. The rIFNα 2C (2MU) was given s.c. 5 times per week for 8–12 weeks and subsequently once weekly until week 48. In the combined treatment, 750 mg MPA was given p. o. daily until week 48 in addition to the IFN as described. The overall response rate in 93 evaluable patients was 5.4%, corresponding to 2 complete and 3 partial responses. Median survival was 7 months in both treatment groups. These data confirm the ineffectivity of low IFN doses for treatment of RCC. The low response rate is not increased by addition of MPA to IFN. The analysis of other IFN studies suggests that not only IFN doses but also IFN sources may influence response rates in metastatic RCC.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tumor Zentrum Universität Ulm, D-7900, Ulm

    F. Porzsolt & W. Schreml

  2. Biometrisches Zentrum für Therapiestudien München, D-8000, München

    D. Messerer

  3. Urologische Klinik Universität Ulm, D-7900, Ulm

    R. Hautmann

  4. Medizinische Klinik Universität Ulm, D-7900, Ulm

    A. Gottwald

  5. Urologische Klinik Koblenz, D-5400, Koblenz

    H. Sparwasser

  6. Urologische Klinik Ludwigshafen, D-6700, Ludwigshafen

    K. Stockamp

  7. Urologische Klinik Salzburg, Salzburg, Österreich

    W. Aulitzky

  8. Urologische Klinik Trier, D-5500, Trier

    J. G. Moormann

  9. Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus Stuttgart, D-7000, Stuttgart

    K. Schumacher

  10. Krankenhaus St. Jürgen Straße Brremen, D-2800, Bremen

    H. Rasche

  11. Boehringer Ingelheim, D-6507, Ingelheim

    U. Papendick

Authors
  1. F. Porzsolt
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  2. D. Messerer
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  3. R. Hautmann
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  4. A. Gottwald
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  5. H. Sparwasser
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  6. K. Stockamp
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  7. W. Aulitzky
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  8. J. G. Moormann
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  9. K. Schumacher
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  10. H. Rasche
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  11. U. Papendick
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  12. W. Schreml
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Additional information

This study was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim and Upjohn Heppenheim, West-Germany

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Porzsolt, F., Messerer, D., Hautmann, R. et al. Treatment of advanced renal cell cancer with recombinant interferon alpha as a single agent and in combination with medroxyprogesterone acetate. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 114, 95–100 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390492

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390492

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