Objective: Interferon has been proposed in treatment of metastatic carcinoid tumours with varied results.
Method: Five patients with metastatic carcinoid tumours were treated for 1 year with rIFN alpha 2b at a dose of 5 MU. three times a week during the first month and 10 MU. three times a week during the following months. Carcinoid syndrome was present in all cases.
Results: Clinical response with improvement of diarrhoea and flushs was obtained in all cases. Urinary excretion of 5 HIAA and blood serotonin were reduced in 2/5 and 4/5 patients respectively. IFN treatment led to a stabilization of the metastatic tumour in all cases. Recurrence of symptoms was observed within three months following the end of the IFN treatment.
Conclusion: These findings confirm the contribution of IFN in the treatment of metastatic carcinoid tumours.