The Toxicity and Benefit of Various Dosing Strategies for Interleukin-2 in Metastatic Melanoma and Renal Cell Carcinoma

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy has been used with success in curing meta­static renal cell carcinoma and melanoma in a small minority of patients. However, the benefits can be accompanied by severe toxicity. This review of the literature discusses varying doses of IL-2 and their associated re­sponse rates and the toxicities associated with treatment. The review also explores the maximally beneficial dose with the most tolerable side effects. Although the higher-dose regimens with a more frequent dosing schedule produce higher-grade toxicity, they were found to deliver the most durable and complete responses. It is recommended to use a higher-dose regimen (720,000 IU/kg every 8 hours for a maximum of 15 doses) and provide sup­portive care for toxicity, so patients can have maximal benefit from therapy.