Skip to main content
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1990 Feb;61(2):330–334. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1990.65

Chemotherapy for malignant melanoma: combinations and high doses produce more responses without survival benefit.

S Lakhani 1, P Selby 1, J M Bliss 1, T J Perren 1, M E Gore 1, T J McElwain 1
PMCID: PMC1971420  PMID: 1690022

Abstract

In a consecutive series of studies, 164 patients with symptomatic and/or visceral metastatic malignant melanoma were treated with single agent vindesine, high dose melphalan with autologous bone marrow transplantation (AMBT), high dose BCNU with ABMT or the BOLD (bleomycin, vincristine, CCNU and DTIC) combination. The high dose treatments and the combination chemotherapy resulted in significantly higher response rates but no prolongation of survival. Factors associated with longer survival included the absence of visceral metastases, the absence of bulky disease and good performance status. For all treatments, life table estimates of survival at 1 and 2 years were only 10% and 4% respectively.

Full text

PDF
333

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abele R., Bernheim J., Cumps E., Buyse M., Kenis Y. Re-evaluation of the combination of CCNU, vincristine, and bleomycin in the treatment of malignant disseminated melanoma. Cancer Treat Rep. 1981 May-Jun;65(5-6):505–506. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bajetta E., Buzzoni R., Viviani S., Vaglini M., Nava M., Bonadonna G. Prospective randomized trial in advanced malignant melanoma with cis-platinum, vindesine, and etoposide vs. cis-platinum, vindesine, and lomustine. Am J Clin Oncol. 1985 Oct;8(5):401–405. doi: 10.1097/00000421-198510000-00012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cohen S. M., Ohnuma T., Ambinder E. P., Holland J. F. Lomustine, bleomycin, and cisplatin in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. Cancer Treat Rep. 1986 May;70(5):688–689. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cornbleet M. A., McElwain T. J., Kumar P. J., Filshie J., Selby P., Carter R. L., Hedley D. W., Clark M. L., Millar J. L. Treatment of advanced malignant melanoma with high-dose melphalan and autologous bone marrow transplantation. Br J Cancer. 1983 Sep;48(3):329–334. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1983.196. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kun L. E., Mulhern R. K., Jr Neuropsychologic function in children with brain tumors: II. Serial studies of intellect and time after treatment. Am J Clin Oncol. 1983 Dec;6(6):651–656. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Mbidde E. K., Selby P. J., Perren T. J., Dearnaley D. P., Whitton A., Ashley S., Workman P., Bloom H. J., McElwain T. J. High dose BCNU chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation and full dose radiotherapy for grade IV astrocytoma. Br J Cancer. 1988 Dec;58(6):779–782. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1988.308. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Quagliana J. M., Stephens R. L., Baker L. H., Costanzi J. J. Vindesine in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma: a Southwest Oncology Group study. J Clin Oncol. 1984 Apr;2(4):316–319. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1984.2.4.316. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Retsas S., Newton K. A., Westbury G. Vindesine as a single agent in the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 1979;2(4):257–260. doi: 10.1007/BF00257190. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Seigler H. F., Lucas V. S., Jr, Pickett N. J., Huang A. T. DTIC, CCNU, bleomycin and vincristine (BOLD) in metastatic melanoma. Cancer. 1980 Dec 1;46(11):2346–2348. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19801201)46:11<2346::aid-cncr2820461104>3.0.co;2-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Selby P., McElwain T. The usefulness of analysis of survival by tumor response. J Clin Oncol. 1986 Sep;4(9):1421–1422. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1986.4.9.1421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Voigt H., Kleeberg U. R. PALA, vindesine, and cisplatin combination chemotherapy in advanced malignant melanoma. A pilot study. Cancer. 1984 May 15;53(10):2058–2062. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19840515)53:10<2058::aid-cncr2820531009>3.0.co;2-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. York R. M., Foltz A. T. Bleomycin, vincristine, lomustine, and DTIC chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma. Cancer. 1988 Jun 1;61(11):2183–2186. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19880601)61:11<2183::aid-cncr2820611108>3.0.co;2-m. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Young D. W., Lever R. S., English J. S., MacKie R. M. The use of BELD combination chemotherapy (bleomycin, vindesine, CCNU, and DTIC) in advanced malignant melanoma. Cancer. 1985 May 1;55(9):1879–1881. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19850501)55:9<1879::aid-cncr2820550906>3.0.co;2-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES