Age has no significant impact on overall survival and on treatment tolerability in relapsed stage IV cutaneous malignant melanoma patients receiving Cisplatin, Gemcitabine, and Treosulfan.
OBJECTIVE
We compared the efficacy and tolerability of cisplatin, gemcitabine, and treosulfan (CGT) therapy in younger patients (age, <60 years) and in elderly patients (age, ≥60 years) with pretreated relapsed American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IV cutaneous malignant melanoma.


METHODS
A total of 91 patients at the age of 18 to 80 years, in relapse after first-, second-, or third-line therapy received 40 mg/m intravenous (i.v.) cisplatin, 1000 mg/m i.v. gemcitabine, and 2500 mg/m i.v. treosulfan on days 1 and 8. CGT-therapy was repeated every 5 weeks until progression of disease occurred.


RESULTS
Younger (n = 49) and elderly (n = 42) patients showed a significant difference in disease stabilization in 25% versus 7% (P ≤ 0.05), as opposed to 69% versus 91% patients exhibiting disease progression. In contrast, the overall median survival probability was not significantly different (P = 0.8153). Neither treatment-related toxicity nor toxicity-associated dose reduction showed substantial differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that CGT therapy could be safely administered to a patient up to age 80 years.
Atzpodien
Jens
J
Fachklinik Hornheide an der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Dorbaumstr, Münster, Germany. sekrprofatzpodien@yahoo.de
Terfloth
Kerstin
K
Fluck
Michael
M
Reitz
Martina
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002066:Busulfan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012074:Remission Induction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; C018404:treosulfan; D002066:Busulfan; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine