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Melanoma; "Phase II Trial of Biochemotherapy With Interferon
alpha, Dacarbazine, Cisplatin and Tamoxifen in Metastatic Melanoma: A
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Immunotherapy Weekly via NewsEdge Corporation : (CW HENDERSON PUBLISHER www.newsfile.com) -- According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, "The therapeutic benefit of adding interferon alpha (IFN alpha) to established single-agent and combination chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of metastatic melanoma has not been proven. We designed the present study to estimate the response rate of IFN alpha, dacarbazine, cisplatin and tamoxifen in patients who had not been treated with systemic therapy for advanced disease. Using a schedule similar to that which had previously been shown to favor IFN alpha plus dacarbazine over dacarbazine alone, we treated patients with an 'induction' regimen of IFN alpha, 15 mU m(-1) day(-1) intravenously 5 days/week for 3 weeks. Following induction, schedules of IFN alpha, 5 mU m(-2) day(-1) subcutaneously three times a week, and tamoxifen, 10 mg orally twice a day, were begun. Dacarbazine, 250 mg m(-2) day(-1) and cisplatin 33 mg m(-2) day(-1) for 3 consecutive days were repeated every 4 weeks, and subcutaneous IFN alpha and oral tamoxifen were continued until the discontinuation of chemotherapy. We treated 25 patients (18 men and 7 women, median age 52 years) and observed only 1 objective response (response rate 4%, 95% confidence interval 0.1%-20%). The toxicities of the regimen consisted of moderate myelosuppression and constitutional side-effects. On the basis of the low antitumor activity of this regimen, we do not recommend it for further study or for use as standard therapy of metastatic melanoma." The corresponding author for this study is: KA Margolin, City Hope Natl Med Ctr, Dept Med Oncol, 1500 E Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA 91010 USA. For subscription information for this journal, contact the publisher: Springer Verlag, 175 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10010 USA.
AUTHORS: Margolin, K.A.; Liu, P.Y.; Unger, J.M.; Fletcher, W.S.; Flaherty, L.E.; Urba, W.J.; Hersh, E.M.; Hutchins, L.E.; Sosman, J.A.; Smith, J.W.; Weiss, G.R.; Sondak, V.K.
SOURCE: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, May 1999;125(5):292-296.
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