A 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ON STAGE II MALIGNANT-MELANOMA PATIENTS TREATED POSTSURGICALLY WITH NEWCASTLE-DISEASE VIRUS ONCOLYSATE

Newcastle disease virus oncolysate was examined as an adjunctive immun otherapeutic agent in the postsurgical management of 83 cases of Stage II malignant melanoma. At this time, all the patients have been under observation for at least 10 years, and over 60% are alive and free of recurrent disease. Older studies in the United States report postsurg ical survival figures for Stage II cases of 5-15%. More contemporary s tudies indicate a 33% survival at 10 years. The unusual disease-free s urvival periods in the present study, including exceptional survivals in 21 patients with head and neck disease and six cases with cerebral metastases, suggest a unique role for the administration of Newcastle disease virus oncolysate in the management of Stage II malignant melan oma patients.