Clinical Cancer Research, Vol 4, Issue 2 283-286, Copyright © 1998 by American Association for Cancer Research

ARTICLES

Phase II trial of sequential radiation and interleukin 2 in the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

BG Redman, GG Hillman, L Flaherty, J Forman, B Dezso and GP Haas
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Harper Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.

We have previously demonstrated that local tumor irradiation effectively enhanced the therapeutic effect of interleukin 2 (IL-2) therapy in an experimental murine renal adenocarcinoma model. Based on these preclinical studies, we have designed and initiated a Phase II trial of irradiation combined with IL-2 for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Patients received 800 cGy to the primary or metastatic lesions on days 1 and 15 followed by IL-2 (600,000 IU/kg i.v.) every 8 h on days 4-8 and 18-22. Sixteen patients were entered; all completed treatment and are therefore evaluable for toxicity and response. Two partial remissions were seen for a response rate of 12.5% (95% confidence interval, 0-28.7). There was no increase in toxicity over that which is anticipated from IL-2 alone. The antitumor activity seen in this trial is consistent with what would be expected from high-dose IL-2 alone.