RESUMO
This case report describes a complete remission of pulmonary metastases, consequent to renal cancer, achieved with interferon-beta therapy. After nephrectomy (July 1990), this female patient was proposed for therapeutic assessment: vinblastine chemotherapy was carried out for 10 cycles, whereas concomitant immunotherapy of interferon-alpha was discontinued after 30 days owing to lack of tolerability. In replacement, interferon-beta administration from the 5th cycle of chemotherapy at the dose of 3 MIU 3 times a week was well tolerated. Interferon-beta was interrupted 27 months later, due to an increase in transaminase levels. Partial remission of pulmonary metastases was assessed after 9 months of interferon-beta therapy, and a complete remission was assessed after 1 and 2 years of therapy. In November 1994, the patient was still in good clinical conditions and disease-free after 37 months from the achievement of complete remission.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Carcinoma de Células Renais/tratamento farmacológico , Interferon beta/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias Renais/patologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamento farmacológico , Idoso , Carcinoma de Células Renais/secundário , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/secundárioRESUMO
This paper shows that the response to tamoxifen (T) can be improved and the resistance to the antiestrogen can be overcome, in advanced breast cancer, by a pretreatment with natural beta-interferon (nIFN-beta) followed by the association of nIFN-beta with T. Forty-three patients with advanced breast cancer, both progressive (group A) and stable or partially responsive (group B) to previous treatment with T received nIFN-beta i.m. 3 x 10(6) IU/day for 14 days and, subsequently, T30 mg/day and nIFN-beta once a week. The overall objective response rate was 26% (95% Confidence Interval = 13-39) with 8 PR obtained in group A and 3 CR in group B. The median duration of response was 6 months (range 3-12+). Stabilization of disease was observed in 44% of cases. Toxicity was mild.