title: Prognostic factors that determine the long-term survival of patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma.
abstract: This retrospective analysis aimed to identify the prognostic factors that influenced long-term survival of patients with metastatic melanoma. The medical records for 616 chemo-naive patients who were treated with systemic therapy on eight phase II/III clinical trials were reviewed. Clinical characteristics, disease stage, metastatic sites, baseline serum albumin, LDH, and response to treatment were compared between the treatment groups and significant prognostic factors were identified. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis identified treatment with biochemotherapy, younger age, normal baseline serum albumin and LDH levels, ECOG P.S. < 2 and absence of visceral metastasis as favorable prognostic factors for long-term survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. abedikia@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Agop Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Bedikian
authors.forename: Marcella M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Carla L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Warneke
authors.forename: Nicholas E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wen-Jen
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hwu
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hwu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D012709:Serum Albumin; D007372:Interferons; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase