Interleukin-2 and Interferon in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Compare the overall survival of patients with metastatic renal cell cancer treated with intravenous vs subcutaneous interleukin-2 in combination with interferon alfa.

Secondary

• Compare progression-free survival of patients treated with these regimens.
• Compare response rates (complete and partial) in patients treated with these regimens.
• Compare the toxicity of these regimens in these patients.
• Compare quality of life of patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is an open-label, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive induction therapy comprising interleukin-2 (IL-2) IV continuously over days 1-5, 15-19, 43-47, and 57-61 (weeks 1, 3, 7, and 9) and interferon alfa (IFN-α) subcutaneously (SC) three times weekly in weeks 1-3 and 7-9. Patients then undergo restaging. Patients achieving a complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD) then receive maintenance therapy comprising IL-2 IV continuously over 5 days and IFN-α SC three times weekly in weeks 1, 5, 9, and 13.
• Arm II: Patients receive induction therapy comprising IL-2 SC twice daily on days 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, and 22-26 (weeks 1-4). Patients also receive IFN-α SC three times weekly in weeks 1-4 and 6-9. Patients then undergo restaging. Patients achieving a CR, PR, or SD then receive maintenance therapy comprising IL-2 SC as in induction therapy and IFN-α SC three times weekly in weeks 1-4 and 8-11.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, at the end of induction therapy, and then at the end of maintenance therapy.

After completion of treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 220 patients will be accrued for this study.