Methods of treating cancer with interferon wherein the cancer cells are HLA negative or have reduced HLA expression

1. A method for treating a cancer in a patient, said cancer having a plurality of HLA-negative cancer cells or cancer cells with reduced HLA expression, the method comprising administering to said patient interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) in a sub-therapeutic amount sufficient to expand and/or activate NK cells in the patient such that the activated and/or expanded NK cells kill one or more of said HLA-negative cancer cells or said cancer cells with reduced HLA expression; wherein the sub-therapeutic amount is about 1×10 4 U/m 2 .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is HLA-negative or has a reduced expression of a class I HLA, a class II HLA, or a class III HLA.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IFN-alpha comprises one or more of IFN-alpha 1, IFN-alpha 2, IFN-alpha 4, IFN-alpha 5, IFN-alpha 6, IFN-alpha 7, IFN-alpha 8, IFN-alpha 10, IFN-alpha 14, IFN-alpha 16, IFN-alpha 17, or IFN-alpha 21.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is selected based upon having a reduced HLA expression.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is receiving or is selected based upon having received an immunotherapy for the cancer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the immunotherapy comprises a T-cell therapy.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IFN-alpha is administered in combination with an anti-tumor agent.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the anti-tumor agent comprises one or more of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, an anti-cancer vaccine, an anti-cancer antibody, or an immune checkpoint inhibitor.