Abstract
Purpose :
Interferon alpha-2b (IFN) has displayed antitumor activity in the management of hairy cell leukemia, renal carcinoma, and some lymphomas. Not much exists in the literature pertaining to the effectiveness of IFN for eyelid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and papilloma. Herein we describe clinical features, risk factors, and outcomes of eyelid SCC and papilloma treated with IFN in a retrospective series of 14 patients.
Methods :
Records were reviewed for patients with eyelid SCC or papilloma treated with IFN drops, injections, or both. Records were reviewed for pertinent past medical history, including cigarette smoking, previous skin malignancies, and immunologic conditions, anatomic tumor location, IFN dosage, number of cycles, and duration of treatment. We reviewed response rates and tumor control of eyelid SCC and papilloma managed with IFN as primary and secondary treatment.
Results :
There were 14 tumors diagnosed histopathologically (SCC n=11, papilloma n=1) and clinically (SCC n=1, papilloma n=1). Mean patient age was 75 years for SCC and 42 years for papilloma. Mean logMAR visual acuity in the affected eye was 0.29 and 0, for SCC and papilloma, respectively. Risk factors (SCC, papilloma) included smoking (42%, 50%), history of skin SCC (25%, 0%), and chronic immunosuppression >6 months (17%, 50%). Tumor features included right eye (50%, 0%), left eye (50%, 100%), lower lid involvement (100%, 100%), eyelash madarosis (58%, 0%), eyelid ulceration (25%, 0%), and eyelid erosion (8%, 0%). Management (SCC, papilloma) included IFN eye drop (1 million units per milliliter) monotherapy (n=2, n=0), IFN injection (10 million units per milliliter) monotherapy (n=6, n=1), and dual IFN eye drop and injection therapy (n=4, n=1). IFN eye drops were used for a mean of 7 months and IFN injections monthly over mean 4 months. Of the 12 patients with SCC, IFN injections were primary treatment in 42% and secondary treatment in 58%. Patients achieved complete tumor control (58%) or partial control (42%). For the 2 patients with papilloma, IFN was used as primary treatment and achieved complete tumor control with no recurrence.
Conclusions :
All 14 lesions showed either partial or complete tumor control with IFN therapy. IFN can be an effective alternative for eyelid squamous neoplasia in select cases.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.