Intermittent interferon and polychemotherapy in XXXX .

@entity1 @entity137 @entity2699 @entity3027 @entity11770 @entity1891 @entity1732 @entity74 @entity204 @entity320 @entity2359
This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and the tolerability of a four-drug chemotherapy regimen combined with interferon alpha (IFN) in @entity320 . Between March 1991 and August 1993, 55 @entity1 with advanced @entity320 were enrolled for the present multicentre phase II study. Forty-nine @entity1 were eligible and evaluable for @entity137 ; 48 @entity1 were evaluable for response. The treatment schedule consisted of a 5-day regimen of @entity2699 , @entity1891 , @entity1732 and @entity11770 , plus 6 x 10(6) IU @entity3027 three times weekly subcutaneously for 2 weeks starting on day 8. The cycle was repeated on day 29. Among the 48 assessable @entity1 , 16 objective responses were seen, yielding a response rate of 33% (95% confidence interval 20%-46%). Seven @entity1 achieved a complete response (CR) of a median of 6+ months (range 1+ to 21+ months) and 9 @entity1 achieved a partial response (PR) of a median of 9 months (range 4-13 months). The median overall survival was 12+ months (range 6+ to 23+ months) for the @entity1 with CR and 15+ months (range 8-20 months) for the @entity1 with PR. Even the survival of the 7 @entity1 with stable disease was fairly long (median 12, range 7-17 months), appearing to be significantly longer than the survival of the 25 @entity1 with @entity74 (median 5, range 1-24+ months). The treatment was moderately well tolerated, although all @entity1 experienced some mild form of @entity137 , mostly gastrointestinal symptoms, @entity2359 and haematotoxicity. Grade 3-4 adverse effects were noted in 39% of the @entity1 . No toxic @entity204 occurred. It can be concluded that the present regimen produces meaningful responses for @entity1 with @entity320 . A randomised study is needed to determine the effect on survival.
