Use of recombinant interferon alpha-2a in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma

In recent years, systemic and intralesional interferons (IFNs) have been used successfully to treat a variety of skin tumours including T-cell lymphoma, malignant melanoma, Kaposi's sarcoma and basal cell carcinoma. However, only a few studies have been reported on the use of IFN for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intra- and perilesionally administered IFN α-2a on SCC. A group of 36 patients with SCC ranging in size from 1.5 to 4 cm were treated with intra- and perilesional recombinant IFN α-2a. The doses varied from 1.5 to 3 x 10 6 IU, three times a week for periods of 4-8 weeks. Complete response (CR) was achieved in 25 of 36 patients (69.5%), partial response in 7 patients (19.5%) and no response in 4 patients (11%). Side-effects including fever, headache and mild fatigue were observed during the first infection in 9 patients (25%). However, they were completely reversible with the use of paracetamol. After follow-up periods of 12-48 months (mean 30 months) no recurrence was noted. The present study demonstrates that intra- and perilesional IFN α-2a can be considered an effective and safe therapy for SCC.