title: High-dose interleukin-2 in patients with metastatic melanoma whose disease progressed after biochemotherapy.
abstract: The objective of this study was to report our experience with 38 consecutive patients with metastatic melanoma treated with high-dose (HD) bolus interleukin (IL)-2 after disease progression on or after biochemotherapy as the only earlier treatment for metastatic disease. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with metastatic melanoma treated with HD IL-2 at the Oncology Center of Hospital Sirio-Libanes between October 2000 and December 2009. The treatment consisted of IL-2, of 600,000 U/kg every 8 h for up to 14 doses, followed by 1-week rest and readmission for the second cycle. Responders received up to four additional cycles. Median follow-up was 9 months. The overall response rate was 23.6%, and we found no correlation between earlier response to biochemotherapy and response to HD IL-2. The median survival was 9.5 months for all patients and 36.1 months for the responders. The most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events were hypotension, diarrhea, and respiratory distress, and one patient died from septic shock. We concluded that HD IL-2 has clinically meaningful antitumor activity in patients with metastatic melanoma whose disease has progressed after biochemotherapy. This is a treatment alternative in patients with no central nervous system involvement and who are fit enough to tolerate it, regardless of the initial response to biochemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Hospital São José, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Buzaid
authors.forename: Rafael Aron
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schmerling
authors.forename: Rodrigo Antonio
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vieira Guedes
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.forename: William Nassib
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: William
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017211:Treatment Failure; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2