title: [Increased survival in distant melanoma metastasis and the effect of treatments. Analysis of the disease course of patients with a survival of 2 years or more].
abstract: The median survival time for patients with disseminated malignant melanoma is 5-7 months; it is still not really known whether therapeutic measures prolong survival. The aim of the present investigation was to identify patients with prolonged survival in stage IV disease and to analyse the possible impact of therapy on the course of the disease. In the Department of Dermatology, Benjamin Franklin University Medical Centre at the Free University of Berlin, 263 patients with were diagnosed as having stage IV melanoma and enrolled in a computer-based registry between 1970 and 1993. In 89 cases systemic medical mentous treatment was given and 111 patients underwent surgery and/or radiation therapy. There were 48 patients who received both systemic and local therapy. On the other hand, 111 patients received no treatment. Twenty two patients were identified survived longer than 24 months (median survival time 33 months). None of the patients who had received no treatment survived for 2 years or longer. The 22 patients with prolonged survival were treated by multimodality included 16 who had received both systemic treatment and surgery and/or radiation, while 3 had had only systemic drug therapy and another 3, only local treatment. Twelve of the 22 patients became tumour free after their initial surgery or radiation. Active therapy in disseminated melanoma with reduction of tumour mass by surgery and radiation and with systemic medical treatment may lead to prolonged survival in a considerable percentage of patients.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Hautklinik und Poliklinik, Tübingen.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate