[Chemotherapy of advanced stage melanoma using cisplatin, epirubicin and alpha-interferon].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the activity and toxicity of cisplatin (DDP), epirubicin (EPI) and interferon alfa-2a (a-IFN) in patients (pts) with metastatic melanoma.


METHODS
Thirty-seven pts with histologically-proven metastatic melanoma were treated with DDP 75 mg/m2 e.v. and EPI 90 mg/m2 e.v. on day 1 + alpha-IFN 9 MUI/die s.c. on days 4 to 8 and 18 to 22. Cycles were repeated every 4 weeks.


RESULTS
Characteristics of the patients were the following: median age 55 years (range, 24-75), median WHO performance status 1 (range, 0-2), prior chemotherapy 9, prior immunotherapy 16 (adjuvant/advanced 11/5), sites of disease: soft tissue only 10, lung 22, liver 11, bone 1, brain 3. In 35 evaluable patients we have obtained 3 complete and 10 partial responses, for an overall response rate of 37%. Dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression with grade (G) 4 neutropenia in 59.5% of patients and G4 thrombocytopenia in 11% of patients. Other toxicities were generally mild to moderate with nausea and vomiting in 67.5% of patients, flu-like syndrome in 78.5% and fatigue in 48.5% of the patients. Median time to response, median time to progression and survival were 3 (range, 2-6), 7 (range, 2-45+) and 10 months (range, 4-45+), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This combination is active and well tolerated in metastatic melanoma. Toxicity was manageable and has enabled us to conduct this trial on an outpatient basis.
Istituto Regina Elena per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Ospedale San Gallicano, Roma, Italia.
S
S
Carpano
A
A
Amodio
S
S
Bucher
P
P
Foggi
P
P
Vici
M
M
Rinaldi
S
S
Mariotti
G
G
Del Monte
M
M
Lopez
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D015251:Epirubicin; D002945:Cisplatin
Chemioimmunoterapia con cisplatino, epirubicina ed alfa-interferone nel melanoma in fase avanzata.