A Phase II study of autologous irradiated tumor cells plus BCG in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma.
Eighteen patients with surgically incurable metastatic malignant melanoma were treated with a mixture of irradiated (15,000 rads) autologous tumors cells (1-2 X 10(8)) and BCG (Glaxo, 2-4.5 X 10(6) organisms), which was injected intradermally (in five divided doses) every 2 weeks (X5). Four of 18 (22%) evaluable patients achieved objective remissions. It is concluded that this treatment regimen does not have general clinical application because the remissions were infrequent, of shor duration (median, 3 months) and occurred only in patients with minimal, nonvisceral tumor burdens.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001500:BCG Vaccine