COMPLETE REMISSION 7 YEARS AFTER TREATMENT FOR METASTATIC MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

BACKGROUND. In this study, the authors identified seven-year survivors after completion of the French multicenter Phase II trial of fotemust ine for the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma. METHODS. One h undred sixty-nine patients with metastatic malignant melanoma were inc luded in this Phase II study. One hundred fifty-three patient records were evaluable with an overall response rate of 24.2%. RESULTS. Five o f these patients are alive and in complete remission. One patient had a complete response after fotemustine administration and then relapsed . One patient had a partial response. Three patients had stable diseas e. These five patients underwent surgery for relapse or residual disea se and subsequently achieved durable complete remission. CONCLUSIONS. Long term survival may be the outcome after surgical resection of resi dual metastatic melanoma after chemotherapy. (C) 1996 American Cancer Society.