Long-term maintenance therapy in interferon-α2a/interleukin-2-pretreated advanced renal-cell carcinoma patients

Purpose: In this paper, we report on the long-term therapeutic efficacy of maintenance treatment in 12 advanced renal carcinoma patients. Patients and Methods: Following prior systemic treatment with 8-week cycles of subcutaneous interferon-alpha 2a (s.c. IFN-alpha 2a) and subcutaneous interleukin-2 (s.c. IL-2)-based immunotherapy (5-day standard Atzpodien regimen), patients received prolonged maintenance treatment consisting of intermittent s.c. IFN-alpha 2a and s.c. IL-2, combined with long-term daily peroral 13-cis-retinoic acid (p.o. 13cRA). Results: Patients received a mean of 10 months (range, 0-27 months) of maintenance treatment. Median progression-free survival was calculated at 6 months (range, 0-61 months), and median overall suvival was 22 months (range, 2-65 months) from the start of maintenance therapy. Of 12 patients, 5 were still alive (>= 60 months) and 2 patients remained progression-free (61 months) at last follow-up. Maintenance treatment was well or moderately tolerated. Conclusions: Maintenance treatment with s.c. IL-2/s.c. INF-alpha 2a/p.o. 13-cRA may support long-term efficacy of prior s.c. IL-2/s.c. INF-alpha 2a-based therapy in advanced renal carcinoma patients.