title: Long-term disease-free survival in advanced melanomas treated with nitrosoureas: mechanisms and new perspectives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Median survival of metastatic malignant melanoma is 6.0 to 7.5 months, with a 5-year survival of approximately 6.0%. Although long-term complete remissions are rare, few reports describe cases after chemotherapy. Fifty-three patients with metastatic melanoma were treated with Cystemustine, a chloroethyl nitrosourea (CENU) (60 or 90 mg/m2).
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe 5 cases, presenting with complete response with long-term disease-free survival of long-term remission of 14, 12, 9, 7 and 6 years after Cystemustine therapy alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term survival has already been described in literature, but in all cases they have been obtained after chemotherapy associated with or followed by surgery. But despite these noteworthy and encouraging but also rare results, it appears essential to increase Cystemustine efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France. xavier.durando@cjp.fr
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Durando
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thivat
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Incan
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinsard
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Madelmont
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chollet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; C051263:N'-(2-chloroethyl)-N-(2-(methylsulfonyl)ethyl)-N'-nitrosourea