HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Clinical and safety profile of high-dose interleukin-2 treatment in elderly patients with metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.

AbstractOBJECTIVE:
High-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) is effective immunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) but has been contraindicated in elderly patients. This study assessed the safety and therapeutic efficacy of high-dose IL-2 in patients ≥65 years of age with metastatic melanoma and RCC.
METHODS:
A prospectively collected clinical database of 104 consecutive melanoma or RCC patients treated with high-dose IL-2 between 2009 and 2012 was used to compare clinical outcomes and adverse events in patients ≥65 years of age with those of younger patients.
RESULTS:
There were 22 (21%) patients ≥65 years and 82 (79%) patients <65 years of age. The mean number of IL-2 doses was lower in older patients during cycle 1 of treatment (7.2 vs. 8.6, p = 0.012). There were no other differences in dosing pattern by age group. There was a higher rate of selected cardiac, constitutional, hematologic, metabolic and renal toxicities in younger patients (p < 0.05). Overall, objective responses and survival were not affected by age, though older patients had a higher partial response rate (p = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS:
IL-2 is safe and has comparable therapeutic effectiveness in patients ≥65 years. Age should not be considered a contraindication to treatment with IL-2 in otherwise eligible patients.
AuthorsJames M Clark, Benjamin Kelley, Jill Titze, Henry Fung, John Maciejewski, Sunita Nathan, Elizabeth Rich, Sanjib Basu, Howard L Kaufman
JournalOncology (Oncology) Vol. 84 Issue 2 Pg. 123-6 ( 2013) ISSN: 1423-0232 [Electronic] Switzerland
PMID23235386 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
CopyrightCopyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Chemical References
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Interleukin-2
Topics
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell (drug therapy, mortality, pathology)
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-2 (therapeutic use)
  • Kidney Neoplasms (drug therapy, mortality, pathology)
  • Male
  • Melanoma (drug therapy, mortality, secondary)
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Prospective Studies
  • Survival Rate

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: