Adjuvant therapy is secondary cancer treatment, given after primary treatment with surgery, to help delay or prevent the recurrence of cancer.
Immunotherapy is treatment that stimulates the body's immune system to detect and kill cancer cells. As a systemic treatment, it travels through your bloodstream to reach all parts of your body.
Interferon is a type of immunotherapy patients receive as adjuvant therapy to reduce the risk of melanoma relapse.
Learn more about how immunotherapy and adjuvant therapy work.
Interferon, with the brand names Intron A and Sylatron, is an adjuvant immunotherapy for patients with high-risk melanoma. High-risk melanoma is usually defined as melanoma that is deeper or thicker (more than 4 mm thick) at the primary site or involves nearby lymph nodes.
In 1995, interferon became the first adjuvant therapy that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved to treat people who have had surgery to remove advanced melanoma tumors.
Following the removal of the primary melanoma, interferon may stop the growth and spread of any remaining melanoma cells. The drug can delay the recurrence of melanoma, but it has not been shown to significantly increase patients’ overall survival time.
The normal function of interferon, as a protein naturally produced by the body, is to fight viruses and other infections and diseases. Interferon is a genetically produced version of the natural body protein for use as a drug that stimulates the body’s immune system to find and kill melanoma cells.
As an adjuvant cancer therapy, interferon targets any lingering melanoma cells and prevents them from spreading and growing. The treatment works by:
Two types of interferon are FDA-approved as adjuvant treatment for patients with high-risk melanoma: Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A) and peginterferon alfa-2b (Sylatron). The main difference between the two drugs is that Sylatron remains in the blood longer than Intron A. That means that Sylatron can be given at lower doses for a longer period of time.
In 1995, the FDA approved Intron A as an adjuvant therapy to surgery for patients in these advanced stages of melanoma:
The FDA approved Sylatron in 2011 as an adjuvant treatment for patients who have melanoma that has spread to their lymph nodes, within 84 days after surgery to remove primary melanoma tumors and affected lymph nodes.
Patients receive Intron A in several ways:
Patients usually receive Intron A in two phases (induction and maintenance) over one year. In the induction phase:
During the maintenance phase:
Patients receive Sylatron as a subcutaneous injection, also in two phases:
Interferon is an adjuvant therapy that works to:
Melanoma treatments, like interferon, have side effects, which can sometimes be serious. Patients should talk with their physician to learn more about the side effects of interferon and other melanoma treatment options.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all treatments work for all patients. If you are interested in learning more about interferon, here are some questions you should ask your physicians:
Patient Assistant Programs (PAPs) are designed so that you still have access to the treatments you need, in any financial circumstance. Learn more about the manufacturer’s patient assistance program and other options here.