Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1993 Dec;68(6):1186–1189. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1993.501

A phase-III study of recombinant interleukin 2 and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

T J Hamblin 1, S Sadullah 1, P Williamson 1, J Stevenson 1, R Oskam 1, P Palmer 1, C R Franks 1
PMCID: PMC1968639  PMID: 8260371

Abstract

Sixteen patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have been treated with a regimen involving an 120 h continuous infusion of rIL-2, 18 x 10(6) iu m-2 day followed by three injections of 5FU 600 mg m-2 at weekly intervals. Entry criteria included no previous chemotherapy, ambulatory performance status, and a measurable lesion. In most cases side effects were easily manageable and only one patient required transfer to an intensive care unit with the capillary leak syndrome. In three patients persistent hypotension was found to be unrelated to treatment with rIL-2, being caused respectively by a line infection, pulmonary embolus, and bowel perforation. This last proved a fatal complication. Five patients (33%; [95% confidence limits, 11.8%-61.6%]) achieved a partial response, and two non-responders later achieved a partial response when treated with weekly 5FU. This regimen is currently being evaluated in a phase-III randomised controlled trial.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

1188Figure 1
on p.1188

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Erlichman C., Fine S., Wong A., Elhakim T. A randomized trial of fluorouracil and folinic acid in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 1988 Mar;6(3):469–475. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1988.6.3.469. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Kempf R. A., Mitchell M. S. Effects of chemotherapeutic agents on the immune response. I. Cancer Invest. 1984;2(6):459–466. doi: 10.3109/07357908409048519. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Lopez M., Di Lauro L., Gionfra T., Gandolfo G., Ameglio F., Paoletti G. Thymopentin and interleukin-2 in combination with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma: preliminary results. J Surg Oncol Suppl. 1991;2:108–111. doi: 10.1002/jso.2930480523. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Morris M. J., Newland R. C., Pheils M. T., Macpherson J. G. Hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma: an analysis of survival rates and histopathology. Aust N Z J Surg. 1977 Jun;47(3):365–368. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1977.tb04304.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Petrelli N., Herrera L., Rustum Y., Burke P., Creaven P., Stulc J., Emrich L. J., Mittelman A. A prospective randomized trial of 5-fluorouracil versus 5-fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin versus 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate in previously untreated patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 1987 Oct;5(10):1559–1565. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1987.5.10.1559. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Poon M. A., O'Connell M. J., Moertel C. G., Wieand H. S., Cullinan S. A., Everson L. K., Krook J. E., Mailliard J. A., Laurie J. A., Tschetter L. K. Biochemical modulation of fluorouracil: evidence of significant improvement of survival and quality of life in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 1989 Oct;7(10):1407–1418. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1989.7.10.1407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Reid I., Sharpe I., Maxwell W., McDevitt J., Franks C. R., Tanner W. A., Monson J. R. A phase 2 trial of recombinant interleukin-2 and 5-fluorouracil in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Eur J Surg Oncol. 1992 Dec;18(6):591–598. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Rosenberg S. A., Lotze M. T., Muul L. M., Leitman S., Chang A. E., Ettinghausen S. E., Matory Y. L., Skibber J. M., Shiloni E., Vetto J. T. Observations on the systemic administration of autologous lymphokine-activated killer cells and recombinant interleukin-2 to patients with metastatic cancer. N Engl J Med. 1985 Dec 5;313(23):1485–1492. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198512053132327. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Schwartzentruber D., Lotze M. T., Rosenberg S. A. Colonic perforation. An unusual complication of therapy with high-dose interleukin-2. Cancer. 1988 Dec 1;62(11):2350–2353. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19881201)62:11<2350::aid-cncr2820621116>3.0.co;2-s. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Valone F. H., Friedman M. A., Wittlinger P. S., Drakes T., Eisenberg P. D., Malec M., Hannigan J. F., Brown B. W., Jr Treatment of patients with advanced colorectal carcinomas with fluorouracil alone, high-dose leucovorin plus fluorouracil, or sequential methotrexate, fluorouracil, and leucovorin: a randomized trial of the Northern California Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol. 1989 Oct;7(10):1427–1436. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1989.7.10.1427. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. West W. H., Tauer K. W., Yannelli J. R., Marshall G. D., Orr D. W., Thurman G. B., Oldham R. K. Constant-infusion recombinant interleukin-2 in adoptive immunotherapy of advanced cancer. N Engl J Med. 1987 Apr 9;316(15):898–905. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198704093161502. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES