Treatment of verrucous carcinoma with recombinant alfa-interferon.

BACKGROUND

Verrucous carcinoma is an uncommon neoplasm whose medical treatment is not well defined.

OBJECTIVE

We report the clinical effects of recombinant alpha-interferon (IFN) with varying dispensing routes on the tumor size in 3 patients exhibiting three different subtypes of verrucous carcinoma.

OBSERVATIONS: In case 1, an oral florid papillomatosis of the upper gingiva, a stabilization of the lesion size was observed after the administration of a cumulative dose of 45 million IU of IFN alfa-2b. The patient died after discontinuation of the treatment due to hepatic toxicity. In case 2, a giant condyloma acuminatum of the penis, treatment with a cumulative dose of 522 million IU of IFN alfa-2a first resulted in stabilization of the disease, and no evidence of recurrence was observed after surgical treatment. In case 3, a verrucous carcinoma of the leg, a mild decrease in lesion size was observed after the administration of a cumulative dose of 174 million IU. Surgery was finally required.

CONCLUSION

In reducing the growth of the tumor, treatment by IFN appears to be an adjuvant therapy of verrucous carcinoma, but it never prevents surgery or death.