Interferon is an adjuvant therapy that works to:
- Control the growth and spread of melanoma
- Delay the recurrence of melanoma after primary treatment
- Stimulate the immune system to respond to melanoma and destroy any remaining tumor cells
Full Answer
How effective is interferon for melanoma treatment?
Following the removal of the primary melanoma, interferon may stop the growth and spread of any remaining melanoma cells. The drug can delay the recurrence of melanoma, but it has not been shown to significantly increase patients’ overall survival time.
What is interferon used for?
Interferon is a genetically produced version of the natural body protein for use as a drug that stimulates the body’s immune system to find and kill melanoma cells. As an adjuvant cancer therapy, interferon targets any lingering melanoma cells and prevents them from spreading and growing.
How do you get interferon?
You get interferon as a shot under your skin or into a muscle. A doctor can give you the shot or teach you how to give it to yourself at home. Interferon is also sometimes given through a vein in your arm (infusion). The number of shots or infusions you need depends on the condition you have.
What are the treatment options for melanoma?
The standard initial treatment for melanoma is the surgical removal of any lesions, a procedure called wide area excision. Depending on the stage of your tumor, your healthcare provider may then recommend an adjuvant (after surgery) treatment to lessen the chance that the melanoma will come back (recur).
Is interferon still used to treat melanoma?
If you're having surgery to remove a melanoma, your doctors might suggest interferon alfa (Intron A, Roferon-A) afterward to help keep the melanoma from coming back. Side effects can be harsh, though, because you usually have to take high doses of the medicine for it to work. You could experience any of these: Fever.
How does interferon work in melanoma?
The treatment works by: Stimulating the immune system to develop T cells (a type of white blood cell that fights disease and infection) to attack melanoma cells. Causing cancer cells to release chemicals that attract cancer-killing immune system cells. Slowing the growth and spread of melanoma cells.
What is best drug for melanoma?
ASCO recommends either nivolumab or pembrolizumab as an option to treat stage III melanoma after surgery, unresectable melanoma, and metastatic melanoma whether or not the melanoma has a BRAF mutation. Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) is a PD-L1 inhibitor that can be used to treat advanced melanoma with a BRAF V600 mutation.
When was interferon used for melanoma?
Interferon has a long history in the adjuvant treatment of patients with malignant melanoma. It was first approved in December, 1995 for patients who were rendered disease free by surgery and who were at high risk for recurrence.
What is the latest treatment for melanoma?
In 2016, the FDA approved the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab as a frontline therapy for patients with metastatic or inoperable melanoma. In 2022, the FDA approved a second combination, nivolumab and relatlimab, as a frontline therapy for patients with metastatic or inoperable melanoma.
How is interferon treatment administered?
You get interferon as a shot under your skin or into a muscle. A doctor can give you the shot or teach you how to give it to yourself at home. Interferon is also sometimes given through a vein in your arm (infusion). The number of shots or infusions you need depends on the condition you have.
What kills melanoma cells?
When melanoma cells are heated by laser beams, tiny bubbles form around the pigment proteins inside the cells. As these bubbles rapidly expand, they can physically destroy the cells. Although laser beams can also heat pigment in red blood cells, bubbles do not form and so there is no danger of harming healthy cells.
How do you beat metastatic melanoma?
A decade ago, there were next to no treatment options for metastatic melanoma. Today, there are many, including immunotherapy, which can dramatically increase survival rates – if certain precautions are in place. Immunotherapy involves medications that train a person's immune system to help kill cancer cells.
How can I boost my immune system to fight melanoma?
PD-1 inhibitors Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) are drugs that target PD-1, a protein on immune system cells called T cells that normally help keep these cells from attacking other cells in the body. By blocking PD-1, these drugs boost the immune response against melanoma cells.
Is interferon still used?
As well as occurring naturally in the body, interferon is also used as a treatment for various health disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), some types of cancer, and hepatitis C.
Does interferon have side effects?
Injection site reactions (pain/swelling/redness), headache, tiredness, diarrhea, upset stomach, loss of appetite, back pain, dizziness, dry mouth, taste changes, nausea, or vomiting may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Is interferon considered chemotherapy?
Interferon-alfa2b is different than a chemotherapy drug; it is actually a natural part of your body's immune system. It is known as a cytokine, which are chemicals normally secreted by cells called leukocytes in response to a virus, bacteria, or other foreign intruders.
What Should I Ask My Doctor About Interferon?
It’s important to keep in mind that not all treatments work for all patients. If you are interested in learning more about interferon, here are some questions you should ask your physicians:
What is the treatment for melanoma?
Immunotherapy is treatment that stimulates the body's immune system to detect and kill cancer cells. As a systemic treatment, it travels through your bloodstream to reach all parts of your body. Interferon is a type of immunotherapy patients receive as adjuvant therapy to reduce the risk of melanoma relapse. Learn more about how immunotherapy and ...
How Does Interferon Work?
Interferon is a genetically produced version of the natural body protein for use as a drug that stimulates the body’s immune system to find and kill melanoma cells.
What is the difference between interferon and peginterferon?
Two types of interferon are FDA-approved as adjuvant treatment for patients with high-risk melanoma: Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A) and peginterferon alfa-2b (Sylatron). The main difference between the two drugs is that Sylatron remains in the blood longer than Intron A. That means that Sylatron can be given at lower doses for a longer period of time.
How long does it take for melanoma to spread to lymph nodes?
The FDA approved Sylatron in 2011 as an adjuvant treatment for patients who have melanoma that has spread to their lymph nodes, within 84 days after surgery to remove primary melanoma tumors and affected lymph nodes.
How long does it take to get Intron A?
Patients usually receive Intron A in two phases (induction and maintenance) over one year. In the induction phase: Patients receive the maximum tolerated dose five days per week for four weeks. Each infusion takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
How often do you get sylatron injections?
Patients receive injections three times a week for the rest of the year (48 weeks). Patients (or their family members or caregivers) can administer the injections themselves without the need for a hospital or physician visit. Patients receive Sylatron as a subcutaneous injection, also in two phases:
Is IFN a drug?
Interferon (IFN) and PEG-IFN are the only drugs approved as ad juvant therapy in patients with melanoma at high-risk of recurrence after surgical resection. Several clinical trials of adjuvant IFN, using different doses and durations of therapy, have been conducted in these patients.
Is IFN therapy effective for metastatic melanoma?
However, IFN therapy combined with novel biological and immunotherapies offers the potential for a synergistic effect and improved clinical outcomes.
What is interferon alfa-2b?
Interferon alfa-2b (also known as Intron-A ®) is being used to treat your melanoma. It is a colorless liquid that is injected under the skin or given by vein.
How to give interferon alfa-2b
You will get your first month of treatment by vein at St. Jude. You will not have to stay overnight in the hospital to do this. Most of this treatment is given at home after you have moved to the portion of therapy that gives shots under the skin. You will learn how to give these shots while you are at the hospital.
How to store interferon alfa-2b
Sometimes, interferon comes as a liquid that is already in a vial. At other times, it is as a powder in a vial packaged in a box with a liquid. Both forms need to be stored in the refrigerator before use. You will add the liquid to the powder form in the vial. The nurse will show you how to do this.
Special instructions for interferon alfa-2b
Drink plenty of fluid while you are receiving this medicine. Ask your doctor or nurse how much you should drink each day.
What is the best treatment for melanoma?
Immunotherapy uses medicine to get your own immune system to destroy cancer cells. There are several types of immunotherapy for treating melanoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors. These drugs are relatively new and have been shown to work well in treating melanomas.
What do drugs do to melanoma cells?
They “target” proteins in your immune system that melanoma cells “turn off.”. The drugs repair the proteins so your immune system is able to attack the melanoma cells. Several of these drugs include: While side effects vary for each drug, you could have any of the following: Cytokines.
How often do you get chemo with Velban?
You’ll usually get chemo every few weeks. Your side effects will depend on which drug your doctor uses, and how long you have to get them, but they can include: Hair loss.
Can melanoma be treated?
Even though melanoma can be a scary diagnosis, it can be treated if you find it early. What you and your doctor decide to do will depend on several things, including your overall health. But it also depends on the size of the melanoma and what stage it’s in. Part of your treatment may include some medications.
Can melanoma drugs be harsh?
Side effects can be harsh, though, because you usually have to take high doses of the medicine for it to work. You could experience any of these: This group of drugs goes after the melanoma cells. They’re different from chemotherapy drugs, which attack all cells that divide fast, not just cancer cells.
Can cytokines be used for melanoma?
Doctors sometimes prescribe artificial cytokines for people with melanoma. Research shows the drugs make it harder for cancer cells to divide, and help your body’s immune system respond to the cancerous cells.
Can melanoma be removed with surgery?
Your doctor will only prescribe them if your melanoma can’t be removed with surgery and you have what’s known as a BRAF gene mutation. About 40% to 60% of melanomas have this mutation. The medications do help shrink and slow tumor growth for a period of time. Their side effects include:
Is IFN- a recombinant?
IFN-α was evaluated clinically in a variety of regimens that initially tested nonrecombinant partially purified IFN-α, species and, as they became available, recombinant IFN-α, species in a variety of malignancies, in addition to its role in the treatment of viral hepatitis and multiple sclerosis. A series of phase I/II studies of the different subspecies of IFN-α in metastatic melanoma have attempted to identify the optimal dose, route, schedule, and duration with an acceptable toxicity profile. The pharmacokinetic properties were shown to depend on the route of administration, schedule, and formulation (rIFN or polyethylene glycol bound) (27). Tumor response rates of ~16% were observed, with responses sometimes as late as 6 mo from the initiation of therapy, but with a modest median duration of response of ~4 mo (28). Additionally, tumor burden was noted to correlate with the probability of response, with higher likelihoods of response among patients having lower tumor burden. These observations, as well as data that suggested that the character of the immune response differs in patients with advanced bulky unresectable tumors, supported the potential for a greater impact of IFN-α on postoperative patients with microscopic residual disease at high risk for recurrence and death (which has been termed the “adjuvant” setting of therapy). This hypothesis opened the door for the initial adjuvant evaluations of IFN-α in melanoma.
Does IFN- help with melanoma?
IFN-α has potent immune modulating and antitumor impacts on melanoma where a significant likelihood of curing this disease was first seen with IFN-α at high dosage in the adjuvant treatment of high risk surgically resected disease targeting residual micrometastases (29, 31). As adjuvant ther apy for melanoma, the HDI regimen is unique in its impact on both RFS and OS, as demonstrated in the Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group and intergroup trials E1684, E1690, and E1694. The newly U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved pIFN-α has RFS benefits that appear to be confined to the microscopic nodal disease population and no overall impact upon OS, and therefore it may be applicable for patients who cannot undertake conventional HDI.
Evidence For The Effectiveness of Interferon-Alfa2b
- IFN is the only medication for people with high-risk malignant melanoma that has been shown to improve both relapse-free survival (living without the disease coming back) and overall survival. Three studies led to its approval by the FDA. First, high-dose IFN was compared to doing nothing…
Use of Interferon-Alfa2b
- After surgery, IFN is given in two steps: induction and maintenance. Induction involves receiving a high dose at a hospital with an IV (intravenous) infusion over 20 minutes, five consecutive days per week, for four weeks. During the maintenance phase, you inject a lower dose of IFN yourself at home three times per week for 48 weeks. It is injected just under the skin (subcutaneously), usu…
Potential Side Effects of Interferon-Alfa2b
- Treatment with IFN is lengthy and challenging. However, with appropriate monitoring, dose modifications, and aggressive supportive care, it can be given safely and is manageable for the majority of patients. The two most common side effects of IFN are flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, muscle and joint aches) and fatigue. To help ease these symptoms, follow the "ABCs": 1. …
Interactions
- IFN may worsen some of your pre-existing conditions, so tell your healthcare provider if you have: 1. Hepatitis 2. Any liver diseases 3. Diabetes 4. Heart disease 5. Lung disease