Treatment Information

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Melanoma treatment details. Immunotherapy.

University General Hospital Attikon, Athens, Greece.

Survival: monthsCountry:Greece
Toxiciy Grade:5City/State/Province:Athens
Treatments:ImmunotherapyHospital:University General Hospital Attikon
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Feb 2009

Description:

Patients: This phase 3 study involved 353 patients with stage IIB, IIC or III melanoma. These patients had all been treated with surgery (resection). They ranged in age from 19 to 84 years old. There were approximately equal numbers of men and women.

Treatment: Patients were treated with the immunotherapy interferon alpha-2b. There were two treatment groups (Arm A and Arm B), and each received the drug on a different schedule. Patients in Arm B received the interferon alpha-2b for a longer amount of time than the patients in Arm A did.

Toxicity: One patient in Arm B died from acute respiratory distress syndrome. There were also more reports of liver toxicity, nausea/vomiting, alopecia, and psychiatric disorders in Arm B. In Arm A, there was one report each of grade 4 liver toxicity, flu-like symptoms, and neurological disorder. In Arm B, there was one report of grade 4 neutropenia, flu-like symptoms, and neurological disorder and two reports of grade 4 liver toxicity.

Results: The median overall survival was 64.4 months Arm A and 65.3 months in Arm B.

Correspondence: Dr. Helen Gogas



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