Estramustine phosphate in the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma.
Twenty-six patients (14 men and 12 women) with histologically proven advanced malignant melanoma, who previously had not responded to DTIC, methyl-CCNU, and procarbazine, received estramustine phosphate (estracyt) (15 mg/m2) in daily divided doses. All patients had measurable disease. One patient developed a complete remission and one patient had improvement in liver function without measurable regression in the tumor. In three other patients (11%), the disease remained static for a period of 3--5 months. The mean survival time from the beginning of therapy was 16.8 months for the patients with a response or static disease and 2.18 months for those who had no response. Gastrointestinal toxicity was minimal; no hematologic toxicity was observed. It appears that estramustine phosphate used as a single agent for treating advanced malignant melanoma after patients failed to respond to DTIC and to the combination of methyl-CCNU and procarbazine has a poor response rate.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004961:Estramustine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013997:Time Factors
D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; D004961:Estramustine