Table 1. Adjuvant Trials With Interferon-alpha

Study

Agent

Patients
(n)

Stage

Dose (MU)/Schedule

Results
+/-

ECOG E168414 IFN-a 2b
vs OBS
287 IIB/III 20 /m²/IV x 5 days/wk x 4 wks,
then 10 /m²/SQ/TIW x 48 wks
(+) OS (p= 0.047)
(+) DFS (p= 0.004)
ECOG E16915 IFN-a 2b
(high vs low)
vs OBS
642 IIB/III 20 /m²/IV x 5 days/wk x 4 wks,
then 10 /m²/SQ/TIW x 48 wks
or 3 /SQ/TIW x 2 years
Preliminary analysis
(-) OS but (+) DFS
WHO #1616 IFN-a 2a
vs OBS
444 III 3 /SQ/TIW x 3 years (-) OS and DFS (p= NS)
NCCTG17
83-7052
IFN-a 2a
vs OBS
262 II¹/III 20 /m²/IM x 5 days/wk x 12 wks (-) OS and DFS (p= NS)
SWOG 864218 IFN-g
vs OBS
134 II/III 0.1 mg SQ TIW x 1 year (-) OS and DFS (p= NS)
France19
(Grob et al)
IFN-a
vs OBS
493 IIA/IIB 3 /SQ/TIW x 18 months (+) DFS (p= 0.03)
OS needs longer f/u
Austria20
(Pehamberger et al)
IFN-a
vs OBS
311 IIA/IIB 3 /SQ/daily x 3 wks then,
3 /SQ/TIW x 12 months
(+) DFS (p= 0.02)
OS needs longer f/u
ECOG E1694 IFN-a 2b
vs
GMK vaccine
851 IIB/III 20 /m²/IV x 5 days/wk x 4 wks, then 10 /m²/SQ/TIW x 1 year or
GMK SQ/once weekly x 3 months
Ongoing
EORTC
18-871
IFN-a 2a
vs IFN-g
vs OBS
800 II²/III 1 /SQ/TIW x 1 year
0.2 mg /SQ/TIW x 1 year
Ongoing
EORTC
18-952
IFN-a 2a
vs OBS
1000 IIB/III 10 /SQ/5 days/wk x 4 wks,
then 10 /SQ/TIW x 1 year
or 5 /SQ//TIW x 2 years
Ongoing
ECOG E1697 IFN-a 2b
vs OBS
1444 IIA 20 /m²/IV x 5 days/wk x 4 wks Ongoing
UKCCCR IFN-a 2a
vs OBS
1000 II/III 3 /SQ/TIW x 2 years Ongoing

ABBREVIATIONS: IFN = interferon; OBS= observation; MU = million units; IV = intravenous; IM = Intramuscular; SQ = Sub-cutaneous;
TIW = 3 times a week; OS = Overall Survival; DFS = Disease Free Survival; NS = not statistically significant; GMK= name of an anti-ganglioside vaccine; ECOG = Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; WHO = World Health Organization; NCCTG = North Central Cancer Treatment Group; SWOG = Southwestern Oncology Group; EORTC = European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer; UKCCCR = United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research; 1: > 1.69 mm thick ; 2: > 3mm thick