Interferon treatment plan for renal cancer

Interferon treatment for renal cancer: renal cancer is a rare cancer, but it develops rapidly and often metastasizes or locally infiltrates. If it is not diagnosed early, only 20% of the cases can be surgically removed. Hormone therapy can cause tumor regression in 1/30~1/20 patients. Chemotherapy is not widely used due to its high toxicity and poor effect.

It has been reported that renal cancer occasionally regresses spontaneously, and systemic symptoms disappear after nephrectomy, suggesting that immune mechanisms may play an important role in controlling tumors. Interferon treatment can indeed recover 1/6 to 1/5 of patients. Renal cancer patients respond to crude human leukocyte interferon alpha [Hu-17 (Le)], purified lymphoblastoid interferon alpha [Hematopoietic interferon alpha (Ly)], and recombinant IFN eA, I, and F, indicating that the IFN molecule itself has an anti-tumor effect. However, IFN treatment takes a long time, about 3 months, or even more than 1 year, suggesting that non-tumor killing mechanisms may be more important and that the treatment time needs to be appropriately extended. At least 6 patients have achieved complete remission after IFN treatment, with a remission period of more than 8 to 24 months.
Most of the patients who responded had lung damage, but their general condition was good and they had not been treated with other methods. After IFN treatment, there was a decrease in leukocytes and platelets, indicating that there might be a response. The main schemes for IFN treatment of renal cancer are: low-dose 2-3 times a week or high-dose treatment for 6-10 days followed by a 2-3 week rest, and there are also daily treatments of 1-2x10' or 1-20x10'/sand for 4-8 weeks. High-dose has better effects and shortens the course of treatment. Continuous use for 4 months can increase the response rate.