Objective: To evaluate the effect of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) on locally advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) after radical nephrectomy in terms of tumor progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
Methods: 176 cases with locally advanced ccRCC were followed up in West China Hospital from 1999 to 2007. All patients were divided into two groups according to whether treated with IFN-alpha as adjuvant therapy. PFS and OS were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model.
Results: Median follow-up was 48 months, 53 cases of disease progressed, and 37 were dead. Mortality rate within treatment and observed groups were 44.3% and 18.6%, respectively (P < 0.001). There were significant differences between the two groups in PFS [(59.12 +/- 5.04) months vs. (81.42 +/- 5.84) months, P = 0.005] and OS [(74.66 +/- 4.77) months vs. (85.18 +/- 4.92) months, P = 0.031]. Cox regression model demonstrated that IFN-alpha, as adjuvant therapy after surgery, was an independent negative risk factor for the prognosis of locally advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
Conclusion: IFN-alpha was ineffective in locally advanced ccRCC after radical nephrectomy in terms of PFS and OS, and there is no evidence that IFN-alpha could be considered as adjuvant therapeutic drug.