title: GM-CSF plus antigenic peptide vaccination in locally advanced melanoma patients.
abstract: Twenty-four (24) pretreated patients with relapsed high-risk resected The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage IIA-IV melanoma received adjuvant peptide vaccinations derived from the melanosomal antigens MelanA/MART1, MAGE-1, gp100, and tyrosinase, according to patient tumor-associated human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restricted antigen expression, in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Pretreatment was comprised of surgery (n=23 primary tumor; n=23 metastases), local radiotherapy (n=2), immunotherapy (n=23), chemotherapy (n=10), and chemoimmunotherapy (n=1), respectively. All patients received peptide vaccines in an adjuvant setting. Seven (7) patients were relapse free for 3+ up to 25+ months. Of the patients exhibiting progressive disease (n=17), 13 patients developed metastases during vaccination (9 local, 4 distant), and 4 patients developed metastases (2 local, 2 distant) after finishing vaccine therapy. Two (2)-year local and distant metastases-free survival, 2-year distant metastases-free survival, and 2-year overall survival were calculated as 8.6%, 68%, and 85%, respectively. Vaccine treatment was well tolerated, with no severe side-effects. Twenty (20) of 24 patients developed local delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to synthetic peptide vaccination. Transient fever (n=2) and pain in muscle/bone (n=2) occurred rarely. In conclusion, antigenic peptide vaccination, combined with GM-CSF, is safe and may yield clinical benefits in relapsed high-risk resected melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Fachklinik Hornheide an der Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany. SekrProfAtzpodien@yahoo.de
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atzpodien
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome