title: Long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of high-risk malignant melanoma patients after surgery and adjuvant high-dose interferon treatment: a single-center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical excision constitutes an important part of the treatment of local advanced malignant melanoma. Due to the high recurrence risk, adjuvant high-dose interferon therapy is still the only therapy used in stage IIB and III high-risk melanoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred two high-risk malignant melanoma patients who received high-dose interferon-α-2b therapy were evaluated retrospectively. The clinicopathological features, survival times, and prognostic factors of the patients were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median disease-free and overall survival times were 25.2 and 60.8 months, respectively. Our findings revealed that male gender, advanced disease stage, lymph node involvement, lymphatic invasion, the presence of ulceration, and a high Clark level were significant negative prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In light of the favorable survival results obtained in this study, high-dose interferon treatment as adjuvant therapy for high-risk melanoma is still an efficient treatment and its possible side effects can be prevented by taking the necessary precautions.
authors: Division of Medical Oncology, Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors: Tulay
authors: T
authors: Akman
authors: Ilhan
authors: I
authors: Oztop
authors: Ilkay Tugba
authors: IT
authors: Unek
authors: Dogan
authors: D
authors: Koca
authors: Olcun Umit
authors: OU
authors: Unal
authors: Tarık
authors: T
authors: Salman
authors: Tugba
authors: T
authors: Yavuzsen
authors: Ahmet Ugur
authors: AU
authors: Yilmaz
authors: Isıl
authors: I
authors: Somali
authors: Necla
authors: N
authors: Demir
authors: Hulya
authors: H
authors: Ellidokuz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000401:mortality / Q000639:trends; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007372:Interferons