title: Persistent thrombocytopenia during melanoma treatment with fotemustine.
abstract: Haematological toxicity characterized by delayed and reversible neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia is an adverse effect observed in 40% of patients receiving fotemustine. We report the case of a 66-year-old man with metastatic malignant melanoma treated with fotemustine as monotherapy. A severe persistent and prolonged thrombocytopenia occurred, so that chemotherapy was discontinued. Bone marrow involvement was excluded. The physician should be aware of this prolonged thrombocytopenia secondary to fotemustine, so that it may be recognized early and not attributed erroneously to tumour evolution. This observation could be substantial for the design of combination regimens with fotemustine and other myelotoxic drugs in pretreated melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Degli Infermi Hospital, Biella, Italy. ginaturrisi@katamail.com
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turrisi
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sozzi
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marinozzi
authors.forename: Mario Alberto
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Clerico
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; C054368:fotemustine