
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.
This trial looked at interleukin-2 (IL-2) and histamine dihydrochloride for advanced renal cell cancer, a type of kidney cancer.
Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a type of biological therapy. Doctors sometimes use it to treat advanced kidney cancer.
When this trial started at the end of 1990s doctors thought that another drug, histamine dihydrochloride (HDC), may help IL-2 to work better. In this trial, some people had IL-2 alone, and some had IL-2 and histamine dihydrochloride.
The aim of this trial was to find out if IL-2 and histamine dihydrochloride was better for advanced kidney cancer that IL-2 alone.
This trial showed that there was no benefit in giving histamine dihydrochloride (HDC) as well as interleukin 2 (IL-2) for advanced renal cell cancer.
This trial recruited 41 people,
The research team looked at
They found that there was no difference between the 2 groups in any of these.
They found that the side effects were generally mild or moderate, although a small number of people had more severe side effects.
A trial done in Denmark around the same time showed slightly more promising results. So the research team concluded that more work should be done to help decide if histamine dihydrochloride was useful or not.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Prof Mark Middleton
Maxim Pharmaceuticals
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.