Interferon in combination with vincristine in advanced malignant melanoma: a phase I-II study
Article Abstract:
Unfortunately, in 20 to 25 percent of patients with malignant melanoma the disease will spread through the body, even in spite of adequate surgery. Chemotherapy can induce remissions in anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of these patients, but these remissions are short-lived and have little effect on survival. Interferon has been reported to have some antitumor effects that operate differently from chemotherapy. The idea of combining interferon with conventional chemotherapy is appealing; to evaluate its effectiveness, 19 patients with advanced malignant melanoma were treated with recombinant alpha-interferon and vinblastine. Alpha-interferon was administered daily, starting at 3 million international units, rising to 9 million daily after three days, and then, after 10 weeks, dropping to 3 weekly doses. Escalating doses of vinblastine were given once a week, starting at 25 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. Interferon therapy was discontinued in two patients with severe flu-like symptoms; virtually all patients treated with interferon experience some flu-like symptoms. One patient achieved a complete response, and one a partial response. These disappointing results give no reason to suspect that the combination of alpha-interferon and vinblastine is more than marginally effective in the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Cancer
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0008-543X
Year: 1989
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Comparison of etoposide and cisplatin with bis-chloro-ethylnitrosourea, thiotepa, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide for salvage treatment in small cell lung cancer: a Southwest Oncology Group study
Article Abstract:
Pati ents with small cell lung cancer, who had not responded to primary therapy or who had experienced relapse, were randomly assigned to treatment with either etoposide and cisplatin or bis-chloro-ethylnitrosourea, thiotepa, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide (BTOC). Within each treatment group, the regimen was altered slightly depending on the risk status of the patient. Patients who were concerned poor risk were defined as those with a history of poor tolerance to chemotherapy, who received prior radiation treatment, or were over 65 years of age. A total of 128 patients were evaluated in this study. Among the good risk patients, the remission rate was 27 percent with either treatment regimen; among the poor risk patients, the remission rate was nine percent, irrespective of the treatment administered. Although the BTOC regimen has been reported to be effective as primary chemotherapy, in this study it provided no benefit over etoposide and cisplatin. Neither treatment was effective in the poor risk patients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Cancer
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0008-543X
Year: 1990
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone provide significant reduction in toxicity compared with doxorubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma a phase III multicenter randomized trial
Article Abstract:
.
Publication Name: Cancer
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0008-543X
Year: 2006
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Hysteroscopic injection of tracers in sentinel node detection of endometrial cancer: a feasibility study. Endometrial cancer in women 45 years of age or younger: A clinicopathological analysis
- Abstracts: Lamivudine for patients with chronic hepatitis B and advanced liver disease. Peginterferon alfa-2a, lamivudine, and the combination for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B
- Abstracts: Serious pregnancy complications in a patient with previously undiagnosed carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 deficiency
- Abstracts: Intrapartum factors in early-onset group B streptococcal sepsis in term neonates: a case-control study. Evidence-based surgery for cesarean delivery
- Abstracts: Smoking cessation and the risk of stroke in middle-aged men. Role of the metabolic syndrome in risk assessment for coronary heart disease