Interferon-alpha therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Am J Med 1995 Oct;99(4):402-11
Date
10/01/1995Pubmed ID
7573097DOI
10.1016/s0002-9343(99)80189-2Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0029087556 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 54 CitationsAbstract
PURPOSE: To provide a status report on the use of interferon (IFN)-alpha in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
DATA SOURCES: Data on IFN-alpha therapy for CML collected from published articles identified in a MEDLINE computer search.
RESULTS: Previously untreated patients with low-risk factors and early-stage disease consistently had the best results in clinical trials. A dose response was seen, with patients treated with dosages of 5 million units (MU)/m2 per day showing the greatest incidence of cytogenetic remissions. In addition, randomized trials showed a survival advantage for IFN-alpha-treated patients. In studies comparing IFN-alpha therapy to chemotherapy, IFN-alpha produced significantly more major and durable cytogenetic responses than chemotherapy did. In studies combining IFN-alpha and chemotherapy, patients had significantly more cytogenetic responses, although more patient accrual and follow-up data are needed to offer conclusive statements concerning durability of response. IFN-alpha also showed activity in maintaining remissions after both chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.
CONCLUSIONS: IFN-alpha has significant activity in patients with CML, with best results at dosages of 5 MU/m2 per day. At these dosages, in patients with early-stage, Philadelphia+ CML, hematologic response rates of 70% to 80% and cytogenetic response rates of 50% (approximately 20% of which were complete) are seen. One randomized trial shows a survival advantage with cytogenetic response in IFN-alpha-treated patients, and this advantage appears to be unrelated to the degree of that response. These questions remain under study.
Author List
Wetzler M, Kantarjian H, Kurzrock R, Talpaz MAuthor
Razelle Kurzrock MD Center Associate Director, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Antineoplastic AgentsBone Marrow Transplantation
Clinical Trials as Topic
Combined Modality Therapy
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Humans
Interferon-alpha
Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive
Leukocyte Count