title: Subcutaneous recombinant interleukin-2 plus chemotherapy with cisplatin and dacarbazine in metastatic melanoma.
abstract: The aim of our study was to verify the efficacy and tolerability of subcutaneous low doses of interleukin-2 with cisplatin and dacarbazine for malignant melanoma. 24 patients were included. The following schedule was used: cisplatin (CDDP) 100 mg/m2 day 1; darcarbazine (DTIC) 375 mg/m2 days 1-5; recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) 4.5 million IU x 2/day days 13-17 and 20-24. The therapy was recycled every 28 days. 10 patients obtained clinical remission (42%), with 2 complete responses (8%) persisting for 12 and 15+ months, and 8 partial responses (35.5%) with a median duration of 5 months. Median survival of all 24 patients was 8 months, 13 months for responders and 6 months for non-responders. Responses were seen predominantly in lymph nodes (48%) and skin-soft tissue (38%), but were also seen in the liver (29%) and lung (14%). Treatment was relatively well tolerated and toxicity was mainly related to chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Division, Oncology Institute, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mastria
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Lena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003606:Dacarbazine; D002945:Cisplatin