Long term response to chemotherapy in patients with visceral metastatic melanoma.
METHODS
Eight patients who remain in long term remission 4 to 15 years after chemotherapy for visceral metastatic melanoma are described. These patients were observed among some 1100 patients with visceral melanoma seen at the Sydney Melanoma Unit between 1977 and 1989. Only about one-third of such patients received chemotherapy, almost always with single agent dacarbazine or a nitrosourea.


RESULTS
The apparently cured patients did not differ from the overall group of patients with visceral metastases in baseline characteristics, but 6 of the 8 had nodular lung metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
While the mechanism remains uncertain, one possibility could be that chemotherapeutic agents cause mutations which allow expression of antigenicity in tumour cells. In any case, the fact of occasional exceptionally good responses, perhaps amounting to cure, constitutes an argument for a trial of chemotherapy in patients with visceral metastatic melanoma.
Coates
A S
AS
Sydney Melanoma Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia.
Segelov
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008130:Lomustine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012673:Semustine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015996:Survival Rate
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012673:Semustine; D008130:Lomustine; D003606:Dacarbazine