Abstract
Thirty-five patients with advanced malignant disease have been treated as outpatients with increasing doses (0.1-100 mcg) of interleukin 2 (IL2) by once daily self-administered subcutaneous (s.c.) injection, 5 days weekly for 8 weeks followed by a 4 week observation period. Systemic side effects were not experienced by patients at the 3 lower doses. Three patients required dose reduction from 100 mcg daily because of intolerance (fever, rash, lethargy, nausea and vomiting) and one patient was discontinued because of dyspnoea. We observed immunological effects at the 100 mcg dose (but not at the lower doses). These consisted of (a) a modest sustained lymphocytosis, (b) eosinophilia in six (out of nine) patients and (c) a significant rise in IL2-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocyte activated killer (LAK) cell activity in six (out of nine) patients to a mean of 2.0 times pretreatment levels (P less than 0.01). Two (out of nine) patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with 100 mcg daily had partial responses of duration 4 and 9 months respectively and a further three had disease stabilisation for at least 3 months. Low dose long-term s.c. IL2 is clinically and immunologically active, and in comparison to other IL2 regimens it has minor toxicity and is easy to administer. These characteristics make low dose s.c. IL2 suitable for study in the adjuvant setting.
Highlights
Further courses of interleukin 2 (IL2) therapy were given to five patients; three received a total of two courses and two received three courses
All 18 patients treated with 100 mcg daily, nine of whom had renal cell carcinoma, four of whom had melanoma and two with colorectal cancer, had assessable disease
We have demonstrated that low-dose subcutaneous IL2 has clinical and immunological activity associated with only minor toxicity in patients with advanced cancer
Summary
Between October 1988 and December 1989, 35 patients with advanced cancer were entered into a study of outpatient treatment with s.c. IL2. Patients, who were trained to give their own injections, were treated once daily from Mondays to Fridays for 8 weeks, followed by a 4 week observation period. Five patients were initially treated with 0.1 mcg daily, six with 1 mcg, eight with 10 mcg and 16 with 100 mcg Correspondence: R.C. Stein. Received 16 March 1990; and in revised form 14 September 1990
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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
