title: Biochemotherapy in patients with advanced head and neck mucosal melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No systemic therapy regimen has been recognized as effective for metastatic mucosal melanoma of the head and neck. We retrospectively analyzed the effectiveness of biochemotherapy in patients with advanced head and neck mucosal melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the medical records of 15 patients at our institution who had received various biochemotherapy regimens for advanced head and neck mucosal melanoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a median follow-up duration of 13 months, 3 patients (20%) had partial response, and 4 patients (27%) had complete response. The median time to disease progression for all 15 patients was 10 months. The median overall survival duration for all patients was 22 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this was a small study, our results, especially the high complete response and overall response rates, indicate that biochemotherapy for advanced head and neck mucosal melanoma should be considered as a systemic treatment option for patients with this aggressive malignancy.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Holly L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bartell
authors.forename: Agop Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Bedikian
authors.forename: Nicholas E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Tina K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Dett
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ballo
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hwu
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014747:Vinblastine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D002945:Cisplatin