title: Complete remission of brain metastases in three patients with stage IV melanoma treated with BOLD and G-CSF.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain metastases are the most life-threatening among the secondary localizations of melanoma for their unresponsiveness to the surgical, radiotherapeutic and/or chemotherapeutic treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Accidentally, we observed a complete response (CR) in a patient undergoing chemotherapy with bleomycin, vincristine or Oncovin, CCNU or lomustine, dacarbazine (BOLD) regimen for metastatic melanoma including brain metastases, who was also treated with G-CSF to manage a concomitant leukopenia. After this observation, seven more patients with stage IV melanoma with brain metastases were treated with BOLD regimen repeated every 6 weeks with administration of G-CSF in the intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three patients presented CR (37.5%). Two patients stopped the treatment after two courses for evident progressive disease (25%). The other three patients showed stable disease (SD: 37.5%). Median duration of SD was 24 weeks. Among the eight patients, six (75%) achieved clinical benefit. Median time to progression was 8.5 months (range 0-74+ months). Median survival was 12.5 months (range 4-74+ months). Two patients are still alive and disease-free after 74 and 57 months, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that the brilliant CR, the long duration of the disease-free intervals and the long survival in at least three of eight patients should encourage further research on BOLD with G-CSF for the treatment of advanced melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Catanzaro, Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy. ugobottoni@unicz.it
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bottoni
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Devirgiliis
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panasiti
authors.forename: Riccardo Giovanni
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Borroni
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trasimeni
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clerico
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calvieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012074:Remission Induction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D014750:Vincristine; D008130:Lomustine; D003606:Dacarbazine