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Year:
2000
| Volume: 8
| Issue: 2
| Pages: 65-72
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Review Article |
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INTERFERONS IN THE THERAPY OF SOLID TUMORS. PART III. INTERFERONS AND VARIOUS SOLID MALIGNANCIES
Nevenka STANOJEVIC-BAKIC, Ljiljana VUCKOVIC-DEKIC |
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DOI:
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Abstract: |
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Interferons exert a consistent therapeutic effect in a proportion of patients with renal cell carcinoma and melanoma. In other solid malignancies, this therapeutic approach is investigated at more limited extent; therefore, it is still in experimental area. In this review, we analyzed the clinical trials that used the IFN as monotherapy or, more frequently, as combined biochemotherapeutic regimen. This therapeutic strategy was not justified in colon cancer. Similarly, IFNs did not make a major progress in the treatment of lung cancer regardless the tumor type. Very limited activity was seen also in advanced breast cancer. In most other solid tumors, clinical experience is insufficient and only anecdotal benefits were reported. This is equally true for premalignant lesions, the possibilities of IFN-therapy of which are largely overlooked. In the future, some approaches such as combination of IFN and hormonotherapy in breast cancer, and with retinoic acid in squamous cell carcinomas, deserve further investigation. The optimization of IFN regimens in solid malignancies is the aim of current efforts. Better understanding of biological mechanisms of specific tumor sensitivity, and also the mechanisms of resistance of sensitive tumor types to IFN, will probably lead to the defining features of tumor responsiveness. |
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Key words:
Interferon; Colon cancer; Lung cancer; Breast cancer; Immunotherapy |
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