A treatment plan provides cancer therapy using agents that have been
approved by the FDA to treat specific types of cancer. A treatment plan
may be considered standard therapy based on results of past research, and
may consist of a combination of FDA approved agents using various doses or
treatment schedules to treat a patient's cancer.
To find out if you are a candidate for a treatment plan, you or your
doctor can contact the Aurora Immunotherapy Program Department at St.
Luke's at 414-649-5818. All immunotherapy plans are conducted at St. Luke's Regional
Cancer Center in Milwaukee.
Immunotherapy treatment plans open to patients with:
Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer) Treatment Plan
Single Agent High Dose
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) For Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer
Background:
High dose IL-2 therapy is FDA approved and is considered standard
treatment for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The 1999
long-term response data for 37 patients out of 255 who achieved a response
to IL-2 reveals an overall response rate of 15% with a duration of 3-131+
months. (Fischer, RI. Presented at Aldesleukin for Injection Second
International Congress; 1999; San francisco, CA)
Patients suitable for treatment plan:
Patients must be diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer (cancer
that has spread to other parts of the body)
Must be out of bed more than 50% of the day
Relatively normal function of heart, lungs, kidneys, liver
Brain metastases should be treated and stable
Patients should not take/use steroids or steroid-containing
compounds
Treatment:
Treatment with High Dose IL-2 therapy will require inpatient
hospitalization.
One cycle of therapy will consist of treatment with IL-2 given in a
vein every 8 hours for a maximum of 14 doses as tolerated. This will
require a five to seven day stay in the hospital.
Following approximately ten to fourteen days of rest after discharge
from the hospital, patients will be treated again for a second cycle of
therapy.
These two cycles consist of one course of therapy.
Patients will be evaluated for response to therapy two to four weeks
after completion of one course of therapy.
Additional courses of therapy may be offered dependent upon patient
response and tolerance to treatment.
Contact:
Immunotherapy Program - 414-649-5818
Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer) Treatment Plan
Patients with metastatic kidney cancer may not always be able to
tolerate high dose IL-2 therapy. IL-2 has been administered to patients in
lower doses with encouraging results observed. This outpatient treatment
plan provides another option for patients with metastatic kidney cancer.
Patients suitable for treatment plan:
Patients must be diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer (cancer
that has spread to other parts of the body)
Must be out of bed more than 50% of the day
Relatively normal function of heart, lungs, kidneys, liver
Brain metastases should be treated and stable
Patients should not take/use steroids or steroid-containing
compounds
Treatment:
Therapy will consist of low dose subcutaneous injections (shot under
the skin) of IL-2 given once daily Monday through Friday for six weeks.
The dose of IL-2 during the first week of therapy will be higher
than the following five weeks.
This therapy will be given on an outpatient basis.
Patients will be evaluated for response to therapy two to four weeks
after completion of one course of therapy.
Additional courses of therapy may be offered dependent upon patient
response and tolerance to treatment.
Miscellaneous:
IL-2 therapy is FDA approved for metastatic kidney cancer
Single Agent High Dose Interleukin-2 (IL-2) For Patients with
Metastatic Melanoma
Background:
High dose IL-2 therapy is FDA approved and considered standard
treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. Among 270 patients with
metastatic melanoma treated in various clinical trials with high dose IL-2
therapy, an overall response of 16% with a duration of 3-106+ months.
(Rosenberg, SA. The Cancer Journal (from Scientific American), 1:5, 1998)
Patients suitable for treatment plan:
Patients must be diagnosed with metastatic melanoma (melanoma that
has spread to other parts of the body)
Must be out of bed more than 50% of the day
Relatively normal function of heart, lungs, kidneys, liver
Brain metastases should be treated and stable
Patients should not take/use steroids or steroid-containing
compounds
Treatment:
Treatment with High Dose IL-2 therapy will require inpatient
hospitalization.
One cycle of therapy will consist of treatment with IL-2 given in a
vein every 8 hours for a maximum of 14 doses as tolerated. This will
require a five to seven day stay in the hospital.
Following approximately ten to fourteen days of rest after discharge
from the hospital, patients will be treated again for a second cycle of
therapy.
These two cycles consist of one course of therapy.
Patients will be evaluated for response to therapy two to four weeks
after completion of one course of therapy.
Additional courses of therapy may be offered dependent upon patient
response and tolerance to treatment.
Using multiple chemotherapy drugs in patients with metastatic melanoma
can produce a response. Unfortunately, the duration or length of response
is often short. Immunotherapy agents (such as IL-2) can produce responses
with a long duration. Various studies have been done using a combination
of chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy agents (also known as
biochemotherapy). Encouraging results have been observed in patients that
have been treated with biochemotherapy. An advantage of biochemotherapy is
that lower doses of IL-2 are used, which can decrease some of the side
effects observed with high dose IL-2. This offers another treatment option
for patients who may not be able to tolerate high dose IL-2 therapy.
Patients suitable for treatment plan:
Patients must be diagnosed with metastatic melanoma (cancer that has
spread to other parts of the body)
Must be out of bed more than 50% of the day
Relatively normal function of heart, lungs, kidneys, liver
Brain metastases should be treated and stable
Patients should not take/use steroids or steroid-containing
compounds
Treatment:
The treatment will require an inpatient hospitalization of five to
seven days for each course of therapy
The treatment will be a combination of chemotherapy agents (Cisplatin,
Dacarbazine, Velban) and immunotherapy agents (Interleukin-2,
Interferon). Dacarbazine will be given intravenously (in a vein, IV) on
day one of treatment only. Cisplatin and Velban will be given IV once
daily on days one through four. Interleukin-2 will be given as a
continuous IV infusion on days one through four. Interferon will be
given as a subcutaneous injection (shot under the skin) daily on days
one through five.
Patients will be evaluated approximately two to three weeks after a
course of therapy for response.
Additional courses of therapy may be offered depending on response
and tolerance to treatment.
Miscellaneous:
All agents used in this treatment are FDA approved.
