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Combination chemotherapy of malignant melanoma with imidazole carboxamide, BCNU and vincristine
Author(s) -
Cohen Seymour M.,
Greenspan Ezra M.,
Ratner Lynn H.,
Weiner Martin J.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197701)39:1<41::aid-cncr2820390108>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - medicine , vincristine , melanoma , chemotherapy , oncology , gastroenterology , surgery , cyclophosphamide , cancer research
Forty patients with disseminated malignant melanoma were treated with triple combination chemotherapy consisting of Imidazole Carboxamide, BCNU and Vincristine. Seventeen of 40 patients (42.5%) showed significant responses including three complete responses. Responses were seen in cutaneous, lymph node and pulmonary metastases. Nine instances of hepatic metastases were unaffected by therapy but 68% of the skin and nodal patients responded. The median response duration was only 4 months and the median survival of responders was 9.5 months compared to a 2 month median survival of nonresponders. Half of the responders died of CNS metastases. The short duration of response, the resistance of hepatic metastasis and the high incidence of cerebral recurrence necessitate additional therapeutic approaches to this disease.