Long-term disease-free survival in advanced melanomas treated with nitrosoureas: mechanisms and new perspectives.
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.
Durando
Xavier
X
Medical Oncology Unit, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France. xavier.durando@cjp.fr
Thivat
Emilie
E
D'Incan
Michel
M
Sinsard
Anne
A
Madelmont
Jean-Claude
JC
Chollet
Philippe
P
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
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; C051263:N'-(2-chloroethyl)-N-(2-(methylsulfonyl)ethyl)-N'-nitrosourea