title: Efficacy and safety of bio-chemotherapy with dacarbazine plus interleukin-2 in patients with unresectable malignant melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study retrospectively evaluated the toxicity and efficacy of dacarbazine (DTIC) with low-dose subcutaneous interleukin-2 (IL-2) for patients with advanced melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with unresectable malignant melanoma received bio-chemotherapy DTIC (330 mg/m(2) , every 3 weeks ) and IL-2 18 MIU (million international units) in divided doses by subcutaneous injection three times a week for 4 weeks. Treatment was performed for six cycles or until disease progression or unbearable toxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From October 2006 to November 2013, up to 31 patients (17 men; 14 women) were enrolled. Their median age was 48 years (range, 22-81 years). Subtypes of melanoma included 11 (35.4%) acral lentiginous, nodular, 1 (3.2%) superficial spreading, 10 (32.2%) mucosal and 5 (16.1%) others. The response rate was 19.3%, including 3.2% with a complete response, 16.1% with a partial response and 6.3% with stable disease. The median progression-free survival time was 3.5 months (95% CI: 3.0-3.9 months). The median overall survival time was 8.6 months (95% CI: 4.1-10.9 months). The 1-year survival rate was 39% and the 5-year survival rate was 10%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrated that low-dose subcutaneous IL-2 plus DTIC has modest efficacy and may produce long-term survival in small proportion of patients. Furthermore, the treatment is well tolerated by patients.
authors: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors: Chun-Feng
authors: CF
authors: Wu
authors: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors: Hung-Ming
authors: HM
authors: Wang
authors: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors: Wen-Kuan
authors: WK
authors: Huang
authors: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors: John Wen-Cheng
authors: JW
authors: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D003606:Dacarbazine
keywords: dacarbazine; interleukin-2; malignant melanoma