Early Experience of Combination Therapy with Chemo-Immuno-Hormonal Agents in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

Lee, Dong Hyeon; Hong, Sung Joon; Chung, Byung Ha; Park, Dong Won

Abstract

Surgical tumor resection, most appropriately together with the affected organ, is the sole form of curative therapy in low-staged renal cell carcinoma. But the fact that about 30% of patients show distant metastases or regional lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma indicates the urgent need for the development of an effective treatment modalities. Herein we report the preliminary result of chemo-immuno-hormonal(triple) combination therapy which consists of a-interferon, vinblastine and medroxyprogesterone acetate in 17 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma from June 1990 to June 1994. The patients received the treatment with the combination of alpha interferon(a-IFN: 6 million units IM three times a week), vinblastine(VBL: 3 mgN2 IV monthly) and medroxyprogesterone acetate(MPA: 600 mg IM twice a month) at least 6 cycles. Although almost all the patients tolerated the treatment a few patients were stopped the treatment when the general condition of the patient became poor in progressive disease The 5 of 17 patients showed partial response and one patient with lung and liver metastasis was resolved completely. The response rate was 35.3% after treatment and the survival rates for 6 month and 1 year were 70.6% and 47.1%, respectively. So the chemo-immuno-hormonal combination therapymight be an alternative safe modality and be able to prolong the survival duration in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.