Abstract
Background: Advanced renal cancer remains a challenge for oncologists since no treatment other than surgery has demonstrated a clear survival advantage. Patients and Methods: Gemcitabine was given to suitable patients at a fixed infusion rate of 10 mg/m2/min. Eighteen patients received concomitant immunotherapy, mostly low doses of interleukin 2 (IL2). Results: Thirty patients were enrolled. The overall response rate was 14% (22% in the subset of patients treated with both chemotherapy and immunotherapy) with a median progression-free survival time of 4.1+ months. Toxicity was not mild, mostly fatigue, nausea and anaemia, even though not life threatening. Conclusion: Gemcitabine at the fixed infusion rate of 10 mg/m2/min with concomitant low doses of IL2 could be useful in the palliative treatment of symptomatic patients with renal carcinoma progressing after tyrosine kinases inhibitor.
Footnotes
- Received July 25, 2007.
- Revision received October 12, 2007.
- Accepted October 22, 2007.
- Copyright© 2007 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved