METASTATIC RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA TREATED WITH PURIFIED LEUKOCYTE INTERFERON - CLINICAL-RESPONSE IN RELATION TO TUMOR DNA CONTENT

Twenty-eight patients with renal cell carcinoma and evaluable metastases were treated with a purified leukocyte interferon 2 - 7 x 10(6) IU daily. DNA content was analyzed by flow cytometry. Nine patients had lung metastases only, 12 had dissemination to lungs and to other sites as well, and 7 had metastases in other sites only. Two patients had complete response and one had minor response of lung metastases. Another 3 patients had mixed responses: 2 of them complete disappearance and one minor response of lung metastases but concomitant progression of skeletal and abdominal metastases. The overall response rate restricted to lung metastases only was 21% (6 of 28 patients) including the 3 patients with mixed response. The 6 patients with any kind of response were found among 19 patients with aneuploid primary tumors while no response was noted in 8 patients with diploid tumors.