Abstract

23 newly diagnosed patients affected by cutaneous T-cell lymphoma were treated with sub-cutaneous interferon alpha-2a to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and the toxicity of this agent. IFN was administered daily with dose escalation from 3 to 18 million units for 12 weeks; thereafter, patients induced into complete (CR) or partial (PR) remission were given IFN at maximal tolerated dose 3 times weekly for 6 or 9 months. The objective tumor response was observed in 17 patients (74%): 8 (35%) were CR and 9 (39%) were PR. A 74-yr-old patient died because of neutropenia and sepsis at the end of induction phase, while receiving IFN at dose of 18 million units. Disease stage is the initial feature predictive of response to IFN therapy. The dose schedule of this study was well tolerated: only 3 patients developed liver toxicity, while leukopenia was evident in 6 patients. Only 2 CR patients have relapsed, 18 and 24 months from response; the remaining 6 CR patients are in continuous complete remission with a median follow-up of 41.8 months. 6 PR patients have progressed from 8 to 17 months after response, and in the 3 PR patients not yet progressed the response duration ranges from 20 to 24 months. In conclusion, interferon alpha-2a is a very effective agent in therapy of untreated cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with an overall response rate of 74%.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.