title: High-dose platinum combination therapy in pretreated patients with disseminated melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are no accepted second-line therapeutic options in patients with disseminated melanoma. We evaluated toxicity and efficacy of a combination therapy with cisplatin and carboplatin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty consecutively treated melanoma patients who were progressive after at least one previous chemotherapy received cisplatin 100 mg/m(2) intravenously and carboplatin 200 mg/m(2) intravenously in a 2-day regimen once every 28 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As grade 3 and 4 toxicities, leucopenia (14%), thrombopenia (10%), anaemia (22%), nausea (8%), nephrotoxicity (4%), hypomagnesaemia (80%) and hepatotoxicity (2%) were observed. Among 42 patients evaluable for response, 2 (4.7%) had complete remission, 4 (9.5%) had partial remission and 21 (50%) had stable disease. The median progression-free time was 17 weeks (range 0-156) for all patients and 39 weeks (range 17-156) for patients with objective responses. The median overall survival time for all patients from the start of therapy was 32 weeks (range 2-156). Melanoma inhibitory activity levels of <12 ng/ml before therapy were identified to be associated with a favourable survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that a combination of cisplatin and carboplatin in patients with pretreated disseminated melanoma has an acceptable safety profile, induces objective responses and may prolong survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Skin Cancer Center, Charité - Universitatsmedizin, Berlin, Germany. maja.hofmann@charite.de
authors.forename: Maja A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: Annett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milling
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kiecker
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sterry
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Trefzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin