• H H Kirchner, J Atzpodien, and H Poliwoda.
• Klinik für Hämatologie und Onkologie, Städtisches Krankenhaus Siloah, Hannover.
• Med Klin. 1996 Apr 12; 91 Suppl 3: 44-9.

BackgroundPolychemotherapy and immunomodulating treatment using IL-2 and/or IFN-alpha produce objective responses in a proportion of advanced malignant melanoma patients.Patients And MethodsIn 2 consecutive phase II trials in a total of 85 patients, we assessed the potential synergism between both modalities i.e., chemo- and immunotherapy. Treatment consisted of intravenous carboplatin (CBDCA, 400 mg/m2) and dacarbazine (DTIC, 750 mg/m2) given twice at a 3-week interval, or 4 cycles of DTIC (220 mg/m2 i.v. x 3 days), cisplatin (DDP 35 mg/m2 i.v. x 3 days), carmustine (BCNU 150 mg/m2 i.v., cycles 1 and 3) and tamoxifen (TAM 20 mg/per os x 5 days) at a 3-week interval. Chemotherapy was followed by immunotherapy with combined subcutaneous interleukin-2 and (rIL-2) and s.c. interferon-alpha 2a (rIFN-alpha).ResultsAmong 40 patients who received a full cycle of chemotherapy with CBDCA/DTIC and sequential immunotherapy, there were 3 (7.5%) complete remissions (CR) with durations of 13 to 26+ months. Partial remissions (PR) were noted in 11 (27.5%) patients with a median response duration of 8 (range 5 to 14) months. Among 45 patients who received DTIC/DDC/DDP/BCNU and TAM and sequential rIL-2/rIFN-alpha 2a there were 5 (11%) complete remissions and 17 (38%) partial remissions. Duration of complete and partial remissions ranged from 8+ to 24+ months (median 12+) and 5+ to 17 months (median 8+), respectively. Chemotherapy produced mostly moderate toxicity. Thrombocytopenia was common with the nadir after a median time of 17 days following start of the chemotherapy. 19 patients required transfusion of thrombocytes. Nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy were well tolerated using concomitant ondansetrone (8 mg i.v.). Immunotherapy was self-administered at home with mild to moderate side-effects; malaise, fever, chills, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia and arthralgias were most frequent (70% to 100%), but spontaneously reversible after ending the immunotherapy. A mean of 87% (trial I) to 89% (trial II) of the projected doses of rIL-2 and rIFN-alpha were administered on either protocol. There were no life-threatening complications and no treatment-related deaths.ConclusionThe sequential combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy had at least additive therapeutic activity against metastatic malignant melanoma. Both schedules produced long-lasting remissions and were overall well tolerated. These trials substantiate a potential role for low to intermediate dose immunotherapy in maintaining and consolidating therapeutic effects of chemotherapy in metastatic melanoma.

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