THERAPY OF DISSEMINATED MALIGNANT-MELANOMA WITH RECOMBINANT INTERFERON-ALPHA-2B AND PIROXICAM - CLINICAL-RESULTS WITH A REPORT OF AN UNUSUAL RESPONSE-ASSOCIATED FEATURE (VITILIGO) AND UNUSUAL TOXICITY (DIFFUSEPULMONARY INTERSTITIAL FIBROSIS)

Fifteen patients with disseminated malignant melanoma were treated wit h recombinant alpha 2b-interferon (20 MU/M2 intravenously 5 days per w eek for 4 weeks and then 10 mU/m2 subcutaneously tiw) and piroxicam (1 0 mg a day orally for 10 days prior to beginning interferon and daily thereafter). Two complete responses of soft tissue disease and stabili zation of disease in two other patients were obtained. One complete re sponse was associated with the development of vitiligo. One patient wh o had entered complete remission was removed from the study because of diffuse pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, believed due to therapy. The combination of alpha 2b-interferon and piroxicam offers no clinical a dvantage over the use of alpha 2b-interferon alone. (C) 1994 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.