capecitabine + interferon-alpha

Capecitabine + interferon-alpha is an investigational combination therapy regimen evaluated for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine carbamate that acts as a prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Once metabolized, it inhibits thymidylate synthase, thereby disrupting DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Interferon-alpha is a type I interferon cytokine that exerts antitumor effects through multiple pathways, including immunomodulation, direct inhibition of tumor cell growth, and anti-angiogenic activity. The combination is hypothesized to be synergistic because interferon-alpha can upregulate thymidine phosphorylase, the key enzyme responsible for converting capecitabine into its active metabolite within tumor tissues. This specific regimen was evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial sponsored by the Kidney Cancer Research Bureau as a second-line treatment for patients with mRCC who had progressed on interleukin-2 based therapies.

Other names

capecitabine and interferon-alphacapecitabine and interferon-alpha combination therapy