Adjuvant immunotherapy for melanoma

✍ Scribed by L. J. Humphrey; S. Taschler-Collins; P. M. Coldfarb; O. Sincla; F. J. Volenec

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 282 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4790
• DOI: 10.1002/jso.2930250418

✦ Synopsis

Adjuvant immunotherapy was administered to 84 lymph-node-negative and 25 lymph-node-positive melanoma patients. This active specific homologous cell protein preparation was given after aggressive surgery and given over 2 years. Projected and observed survival rates are presented as well as other clinical and pathologic characteristics such as female-to-male ratio, site of primary, level and depth of invasion. The projected 5-year survival rates are 90% for all stage I with 89% for females and 94% for males. Lower extremity stage I projected 5-year survival rate was 88% for all, 87% for females, and 100% for males. The projected 5-year survival rate for stage I1 was 68% overall and 100% for lower extremity.

Only two of five patients with an unknown primary have expired. All of these results are improved over expected survival. Hopefully a randomized prospective study will be stimulated to ascertain the basis for this improvement.