title: [Adjuvant therapy with recombinant interferon alfa-2a in metastasized malignant melanoma].
abstract: Recombinant alpha-2a interferon (IFN alpha-2a; Roferon-A) was administered as adjuvant therapy in 21 patients with malignant melanoma stage IIa or IIb after surgical removal of all detectable metastases. Patients received 9 x 10(6) units of IFN alpha-2a s.c. 3 times weekly over 6 months. One patient was treated over 12 months. Relapses occurred in 5 of the 21 patients during therapy, and 10 patients developed new metastases a few weeks or months after the end of therapy. Of the 15 patients with recurrent disease, 9 have since died. One patient without any relapse died of a myocardial infarction 5 months after the start of therapy. Comparison of the 21 treated patients with an untreated historical matched control group did not show any prolongation of the recurrence-free period in the interferon-treated group.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Hautklinik Freiburg.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Elsässer-Beile
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stadler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drews
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schöpf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
vernacular_title: Adjuvante Therapie mit rekombiniertem Interferon alfa-2a beim metastasierten malignen Melanom.