RECOMBINANT INTERFERON ALFA-2A IN COMBINATION WITH CARBOPLATIN, VINBLASTINE, AND BLEOMYCIN IN THE TREATMENT OF ADVANCED MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

Thirty-four patients with advanced malignant melanoma were treated wit h recombinant alpha-interferon (IFN) and chemotherapy consisting of ca rboplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin (CVB). CVB was given for four cy cles and IFN for 1 year or until progression. Of the 34 analyzed patie nts, 17 (50%) achieved an objective response, including two complete ( 6%) and 15 partial responses (44%). Responses were noted in cutaneous, lymph node, and pulmonary sites, with a median time to disease progre ssion of 5 months (range, 3-20 months). The median survival from onset of therapy was 8 months (range, 1-22 months) for the 34 patients. Nin ety-four percent of the patients experienced flu-like symptoms and 82% fatigue or weakness. Leukopenia grade 3-4 was observed in four patien ts (12%). There were two toxicity-related deaths (6%); one from bleomy cin-induced pneumonitis and one from neutropenic sepsis. It is conclud ed that the addition of IFN to CVB regimen, in this study, showed no a pparent advantage on response rates, disease-free interval, or surviva l. The observed treatment-related mortality was unacceptably high. IFN administered as maintenacnce therapy following CVB confered no surviv al benefit.