title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Fachklinik Hornheide an der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Dorbaumstr, Münster, Germany. sekrprofatzpodien@yahoo.de
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atzpodien
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terfloth
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fluck
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reitz
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D003841:Deoxycytidine; C018404:treosulfan; D002066:Busulfan; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine