Table 2. Combination trials of IFNα: a historical overview.
| Trial | Treatment regimen | IFNα form | n | CHR rate (%) | Survival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kantarjian et al.20 | Induction: daunorubicin+cytarabine+vincristine+prednisone Maintenance: IFNα 3–5 MU/m2 daily vs matched historical control (IFNα) | Human leukocyte IFNα | 32 64 | NA | Projected 6-year survival rate from the start of therapy: 58% 58% |
| Kantarjian et al.21 | IFNα 5 MU/m2 daily+low-dose cytarabine every 2 weeks until remission, then 1 week per month for maintenance vs historical control (IFNα) | NA | 40 39 | 55 28 (P=0.02) | 3-Year rate: 75% 48% (P<0.01) |
| Hehlmann et al.23 | IFNα 5 MU/m2 daily+hydroxyurea vs hydroxyurea | rIFNα-2a | 226 308 | 59 32 | Median survival: 64 months 53 months (P=0.0063) |
| Kantarjian et al.24 | IFNα 5 MU/m2 daily+low-dose cytarabine daily vs IFNα+intermittent low-dose cytarabine vs IFNα without cytarabine | NA | 140 46 274 | 92 84 80 (P=0.01) | ∼70% for all groups |
| Arthur et al.25 | IFNα 9 MU daily+intermittent low-dose cytarabine | rIFNα-2a | 30 | 93 | NA |
| Lindauer et al.26 | IFNα 5 MU daily+intermittent low-dose cytarabine | rIFNα-2b | 65 | 60 | 3-Year rate: 77% 5-year rate: 55% |
| Guilhot et al.27 | Hydroxyurea+IFNα 5 MU daily+intermittent low-dose cytarabine vs hydroxyurea+IFNα daily | rIFNα-2b | 360 361 | 66 55 (P=0.003) | 3-Year rate: 86% 79% (P=0.02) |
| Baccarani et al.28 | Hydroxyurea+IFNα 3–6 MU daily+intermittent low-dose cytarabine vs hydroxyurea+IFNα daily | rIFNα-2a | 275 263 | 62 55 (NS) | 5-Year rate: 68% 65% (NS) |
Abbreviations: CHR, complete hematological remission; NA, not available; NS, not significant; rIFNα, recombinant interferon-α.