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- • There is not much data on the effects of interferon on classic KS, but because this form of the disease does not
- involve an immunologic defect, responses to this agent are not likely.
- • Drug-induced KS is often very responsive to removing whichever agent depressed the body's immune system
- in the first place. When this is done, regressions of the disease, often complete, frequently occur.
- • The most information on the effects of interferon is available with respect to HIV-associated KS. Treatment
- produces responses independent of the site of involvement or the amount of tumor present, which is a most
- unusual finding in cancer treatment.
- • Both survival and the response rate drop if there are symptoms (fever, sweating, weight loss), opportunistic
- infections or low T4 cell counts. In one study, 45 percent of patients with T4 cell counts over 400 responded
- to chemotherapy , but only 2 percent of those with T4 cell counts less than 100 responded. There is some
- suggestion of an increase in survival if the amount of KS decreases, but final data are not yet available.
- • Responses are more frequent as larger doses are given, but higher doses cause unacceptable side effects much
- more often. Some physicians start their patients at a low dosage of interferon and gradually increase it. This
- appears to result in fewer side effects when the higher dosage is eventually reached, but obviously the KS takes
- longer to respond.
- • Studies of interferon plus chemotherapy have failed to produce any consistent improvement over either agent
- used by itself.
- • AZT has been added to interferon with some suggestion of increased effect.
