Skip to main content
Log in

A phase I/II study of recombinant interferon alpha 2a and hydroxyurea for chronic myelocytic leukemia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Blut Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Nine previously untreated patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) were treated with recombinant interferon alpha 2a (rIFN-alpha 2a) and hydroxyurea. Patients received 6×106 U rIFN-alpha 2a daily for the first week and 3×106 U rIFN-alpha 2a daily for the second week. As maintenance treatment starting on day 15, patients received 3×106 U rIFN-alpha 2 a 3 times a week. Simultaneously, hydroxyurea was given, starting at a dose of 40 mg/kg on day one. The maintenance dosage was adjusted to the white blood cell count. Two patients responded with complete hematological remissions but without cytogenetic and molecular-genetic improvements. Seven patients responded with partial hematological remissions. Response to therapy was rapid; normal white blood cell counts were reached after a median of 12 days. The doses of rIFN-alpha 2a and hydroxyurea needed to keep the leucocyte count in the normal range were low (3×106 U rIFN-alpha 2a 3 times per week, 0.5–1.5 g hydroxyurea/day). Acute toxicity of the combination therapy consisted of fever (9 of 9 patients), flulike symptoms (7 of 9 patients), pruritus and/or rash (3 of 9 patients) and evidence of a tumor cell lysis syndrome (1 of 9 patients). The side effects were not dose-limiting. Combination therapy with rIFN-alpha 2a and hydroxyurea for CML is well tolerated and allows quick and effective hematological control of the disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alimena G, Morra E, Lazzarino M, Liberati AM, Montefusco E, Inverardi D, Bernasconi P, Mancini M, Donti E, Grignani F, Bernasconi C, Dianzani F, Mandelli F (1988) Interferon alpha-2b as therapy for Ph-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia: a study of 82 patients treated with intermittent or daily administration. Blood 72: 642–647

    Google Scholar 

  2. Anger BR, Carbonell F, Braunger I, Heinze B, Gutensohn W, Thiel E, Heimpel H (1988) Blast crisis of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML). Blut 57: 131–137

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bolin RW, Robinson WA, Sutherland J, Hamman RF (1982) Busulfan versus hydroxyurea in long-term therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Cancer 50: 1683–1687

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hehlmann R, Anger BR, Messerer D, Zankovitch R, Bergmann L, Kolb HJ, Meyer P, Essers U, Queisser U, Vaupel H, Walter F, Hossfeld DK, Zimmermann R, Heiss F, Mende S, Tigges FJ, Kleeberg UR, Pralle H, Kayser W, Tichelli A, Faulhaber JD, Raeth U, Schubert H, Bross K, Schlag R, Schmidt L, Weissenfels I, Heinze B, Georgii A, Queisser W, Heimpel H (1988) Randomized study on the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase with busulfan versus hydroxyurea versus interferon-alpha. Blut 56: 87–91

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kurzrock R, Talpaz M, Kantarijan H et al. (1987) Therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia with recombinant interferon-gamma. Blood 70: 943–947

    Google Scholar 

  6. Niederle N, Kloke O, Doberauer C, Becher R, Beelen DW, Schmidt CG (1986) Alpha-2-Interferon — erste Behandlungsergebnisse bei der chronisch myeloischen Leukämie. DMW 111: 765–767

    Google Scholar 

  7. Rushing D, Goldman JM, Gibbs G et al. (1982) Hydroxyurea versus busulfan in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Am J Clin Oncol 5: 307–313

    Google Scholar 

  8. Talpaz M, Kantarijan H, Kurzrock R, Gutterman JU (1988) Therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia: chemotherapy and interferons. Semin Hematol 25: 62–73

    Google Scholar 

  9. Talpaz M, Kantarijan H, Kurzrock R, McCredie K, Keating MJ, Trujillo JM, Gutterman JU (1987) Clinical investigation of human leukocyte interferon in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Blood 69: 1280–1288

    Google Scholar 

  10. Talpaz M, Kantarijan H, McCredie K, Trujillo JM, Keating MJ, Gutterman JU (1986) Hematologic remission and cytogenetic improvement induced by recombinant human interferon alpha in chronic myelogenous leukemia. N Engl J Med 314: 1065–1069

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Anger, B., Porzsolt, F., Leichtle, R. et al. A phase I/II study of recombinant interferon alpha 2a and hydroxyurea for chronic myelocytic leukemia. Blut 58, 275–278 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00320165

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00320165

Key words

Navigation