What to do with IL-2?

Abstract

It has been 15 years since the first positive clinical reports of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) appeared in the medical literature, ten years since moderate dose continuous infusion IL-2 was approved in Europe, and five years since high-dose bolus IL-2 was approved for general use in the United States. IL-2 is accepted as a standard treatment used alone, or in combination with chemotherapy or biotherapy in the management of metastatic melanoma and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Various physicians utilize high-dose bolus IL-2, moderate-dose continuous infusion IL-2, and low-dose outpatient intravenous or subcutaneous IL-2. There is still no consensus regarding the best way to deliver IL-2 alone in terms of dose and schedule of administration from a risk-to-benefit standpoint. Despite yielding higher tumor response rates, regimens that combine IL-2 with chemotherapy and/or interferon have not produced better long-term survival.