Read article Interferon for carcinoid
This page tells you about interferon treatment for carcinoid.
Interferon for carcinoid
Interferon alpha is a man made copy of a substance that the body makes naturally. Interferon works in several ways. It directly interferes with how cells grow and multiply. And it stimulates the immune system by encouraging immune system cells to attack cancer cells. It also encourages cancer cells to produce chemicals that attract the immune system cells.
Doctors think that interferon may help some people with carcinoid more than others. We know from research that it is most helpful in treating slower growing types of carcinoid.
You have interferon as an injection, usually between 3 and 5 times a week. You can learn how to give the injections yourself, so you don’t have to travel to hospital for treatment. The main side effects of interferon are
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Flu like symptoms
- Feeling sick
- Loss of appetite
- Changes in the way your liver works
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the Treating carcinoid section.
Interferon alpha is a man made copy of a substance that the body makes naturally. The body makes interferon as part of the immune response. This is when the body reacts to anything it recognises as ‘foreign’ or abnormal, for example infection or cancer cells.
Interferon works in several ways. It directly interferes with how cells grow and multiply. And it stimulates the immune system by encouraging immune system cells, such as killer T cells, to attack cancer cells. It also encourages cancer cells to produce chemicals that attract the immune system cells.
Doctors have found that interferon helps some people with carcinoid more than others. We know from research that it is most helpful in treating slower growing types of carcinoid. But it is difficult to predict how well it will work for each particular person.
Between 4 and 6 out of every 10 people treated with interferon (40 to 60%) have a drop in the level of carcinoid hormones in their bloodstream. And between 4 and 7 out of 10 people (40 to 70%) have relief of symptoms. Interferon may work best in people who have it with a somatostatin analogue. But doctors need to do further research to find out more about it.
You have interferon as an injection into the fatty tissue just under your skin (subcutaneously). You usually have it between 3 and 5 times a week. You can learn how to give the injections yourself, so you don’t have to travel to hospital for treatment.
The main side effects of interferon are
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Flu like symptoms
- Feeling sick
- Loss of appetite
- Changes in the way your liver works
You can find out about interferon and its side effects in our main cancer drugs section.
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