Tumor Necrosis Factor in Advanced Colorectal Cancer: A Phase II Study

Abstract

In a phase II study, the efficacy and toxicity of human recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rh TNF-alpha) were evaluated in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. Rh TNF-alpha was given as short term infusion at a dose of 3 × 10⁵ U/m² on three successive days. Treatment was repeated after a two week interval. The response was evaluated after four treatment cycles. In 15 patients entering the study, we found one partial response, one stable disease, 9 progressive diseases, and four patients who where not evaluable for tumorremission. There were numerous side effects of the treatment, mainly fever, chills, loss of appetite, leukopenia, and hepatotoxicity. In this regimen, rh TNF-alpha does not suggest a therapeutic advantage for treatment of advanced colorectal carcinoma.

Radiosensitising Nanoparticles as Novel Cancer Therapeutics — Pipe Dream or Realistic Prospect?

“…CYT-6091 is a novel nanomedicine, which is composed of a 27 nm colloidal GNP, surface functionalised with thiolyated polyethylene glycol (PEG) and recombinant human tumour necrosis factor alpha (rhTNF). TNF as an anti-cancer therapeutic has been extensively investigated producing minimal clinical benefit with dose limiting side effects including hepatotoxicity, malaise and hypotension (53)(54)(55)(56). This was thought to be, in part, due to the inability to adequately target the drug to the site of disease.…”