[Interferons, interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor. New approaches to cancer therapy].

Lymphokines represent a new group of substances that have engendered increasing interest in the context of cancer therapy. They are products of the lymphoid system that can now be produced in pure form as a consequence of advances in gene cloning technology. alpha-Interferon has been tested in clinical trials for several years, and has been found effective in the treatment of patients with hairy cell leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS) and renal cell cancer. Interleukin-2 has shown impressive antitumor activity in patients with melanoma or renal cell cancer, particularly in combination with lymphokine-activated killer cells, although at very high doses with correspondingly severe toxicity. The clinical testing of tumor necrosis factor is in an early stage. The introduction of this class of agents has opened new perspectives for cancer therapy.