Prospective Randomized Trial of the Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Melanoma Using Chemotherapy With Cisplatin, Dacarbazine, and Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination With Interleukin-2 and Interferon Alfa-2b
Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology
Abstract
PURPOSE: The combination of chemotherapy with immunotherapeutic agents such as interleukin-2 and interferon alfa-2b has been reported to provide improved treatment results in patients with metastatic melanoma, compared with the use of chemotherapy alone. We have performed a prospective randomized trial in patients with metastatic melanoma, comparing treatment with chemotherapy to treatment with chemoimmunotherapy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred two patients with metastatic melanoma were prospectively randomized to receive chemotherapy composed of tamoxifen, cisplatin, and dacarbazine or this same chemotherapy followed by interferon alfa-2b and interleukin-2. Objective responses, survival, and toxicity in the two groups were evaluated at a median potential follow-up of 42 months.
RESULTS: In 52 patients randomized to receive chemotherapy, there were 14 objective responses (27%), including four complete responses. In 50 patients randomized to receive chemoimmunotherapy, there were 22 objective responses (44%) (P2 = .071), including three complete responses. In both treatment groups, the duration of partial responses was often short, and there was a trend toward a survival advantage for patients receiving chemotherapy alone (P2 = .052; median survival of 15.8 months compared with 10.7 months). Treatment-related toxicities were greater in patients receiving chemoimmunotherapy.
CONCLUSION: With the treatment regimens used in this study, the addition of immunotherapy to combination chemotherapy increased toxicity but did not increase survival. The use of combination chemoimmunotherapy regimens is not recommended in the absence of well-designed, prospective, randomized protocols showing the benefit of this treatment strategy.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 1999 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
History
Published in print: March 01, 1999
Published online: September 21, 2016
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Altmetric
Citations
Article Citation
Prospective Randomized Trial of the Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Melanoma Using Chemotherapy With Cisplatin, Dacarbazine, and Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination With Interleukin-2 and Interferon Alfa-2b. JCO 17, 968-968(1999).
Download Citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.
Download article citation data for:
Journal of Clinical Oncology 1999 17:3, 968-968
Journal of Clinical Oncology 1999 17:3, 968-968
View Options
Get Access
Login options
Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.
Personal login Institutional LoginPurchase Options
Purchase this article to get full access to it.
Subscribe
Subscribe to this Journal
Renew Your Subscription
Become a Member