MEGESTROL MELANOMA STUDY

The progestogen megestrol acetate (160 mg/day PO continuously starting 2 days before chemotherapy) plus chemotherapy with dacarbazine (220 m g/m(2)/day IV for 3 days), cisplatin (25-30 mg/m(2)/day IV for 3 days) every 3 weeks, and carmustine (150 mg/m(2) IV single dose every 6 wee ks) were administered to 22 patients, 18 of whom were evaluable. Toxic ity was tolerable, and more than 80% of ideal dosing was achieved duri ng the first two cycles of treatment. A net weight gain of 0.95 kg was observed during this program of treatment. A 56% objective response r ate, including visceral responding sites, with a median duration of re sponse of 37.5+ weeks was achieved. A median survival of 15 months for all evaluable study patients was seen, which is somewhat longer than that achieved by most prior studies, including those employing the sam e chemotherapy regimen plus tamoxifen. Megestrol acetate may contribut e to a high objective response rate and prolonged median survival in v iscerally dominant metastatic melanoma when used with a chemotherapy r egimen of dacarbazine, carmustine, and cisplatin.