title: Unexpected clinical outcome in a patient with liver and brain metastasis from melanoma.
abstract: The treatment of disseminated melanoma is inadequate. The most active single agents provide brief objective response in 20% of patients, while the combination chemotherapy improves response rates without any apparent survival benefit. Median overall survival is, in fact, 7-9 months and 5 year survival is approximately 6%. Metastatic melanoma with a localization of the disease in the liver and brain are categorized as M1c and have the worst prognosis. Here we describe the history, treatment and favourable clinical outcome in a young man with liver and resected brain metastases who obtained complete remission for 6 years since chemotherapy with dacarbazine, cisplatin and vinblastine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. carmen.nuzzo@libero.it
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nuzzo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeuli
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferraresi
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciccarese
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pelligrini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cognetti
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014747:Vinblastine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D002945:Cisplatin