Corel Medical Series: Cancer/Corel Medical Series: Cancer.iso/mac/Program/c16.dxr/00085_Field_SRC.c16.A.18.txt

Text File | 1997-01-28 | 2KB | 18 lines

• There is not much data on the effects of interferon on classic KS, but because this form of the disease does not
  involve an immunologic defect, responses to this agent are not likely.
• Drug-induced KS is often very responsive to removing whichever agent depressed the body's immune system
  in the first place. When this is done, regressions of the disease, often complete, frequently occur.
• The most information on the effects of interferon is available with respect to HIV-associated KS. Treatment
  produces responses independent of the site of involvement or the amount of tumor present, which is a most
  unusual finding in cancer treatment.
• Both survival and the response rate drop if there are symptoms (fever, sweating, weight loss), opportunistic
  infections or low T4 cell counts. In one study, 45 percent of patients with T4 cell counts over 400 responded
  to chemotherapy , but only 2 percent of those with T4 cell counts less than 100 responded. There is some
  suggestion of an increase in survival if the amount of KS decreases, but final data are not yet available.
• Responses are more frequent as larger doses are given, but higher doses cause unacceptable side effects much
  more often. Some physicians start their patients at a low dosage of interferon and gradually increase it. This
  appears to result in fewer side effects when the higher dosage is eventually reached, but obviously the KS takes
  longer to respond.
• Studies of interferon plus chemotherapy have failed to produce any consistent improvement over either agent
  used by itself.
• AZT has been added to interferon with some suggestion of increased effect.