Chemotherapy plus Immunotherapy May Not Improve Survival over Chemotherapy Alone in Metastatic Melanoma
According to an article recently published in the Annals of Oncology, the chemotherapy combination consisting of cisplatin, vindesine, and dacarbazine (CVD) produced similar delay of cancer progression and overall survival time as CVD plus the biologic agents interferon and interleukin.
Melanoma is a type of aggressive skin cancer that typically originates from a mole. Metastatic melanoma refers to cancer that has spread from its site of origin to distant sites in the body. Overall survival for metastatic melanoma remains unfavorable with standard therapies.
Melanoma is often non-responsive to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Some research has indicated that stimulating the immune system to fight cancer with biologic agents such as interferon or interleukin improves outcomes. However, the use of biologic agents in the treatment of metastatic melanoma has not consistently shown improvements over other therapies.
To further evaluate the use of biologic agents in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, researchers from Italy and St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas, recently conducted a phase III clinical trial to directly compare different therapeutic regimens in patients with this disease.
This trial included 151 patients with metastatic melanoma who had not received prior therapy. Approximately half of the patients were treated with CVD, and the other half received CVD plus interferon and interleukin. Both groups experienced similar delay of cancer progression and overall survival times:
Anticancer responses were achieved in 21% of patients treated with CVD and 33% of patients treated with CVD plus interferon and interleukin.
Median time to cancer progression was identical between the two groups of patients.
Median overall survival was 12 months for those treated with CVD and 11 months for those treated with CVD plus interferon and interleukin.
At 52 months following initiation of therapy, 10% of patients were alive.
The researchers concluded that the addition of interferon and interleukin to CVD did not delay cancer progression or overall survival compared to CVD alone when used as initial treatment for metastatic melanoma. The authors stated that the addition of interferon and interleukin to CVD “cannot be recommended as standard first-line therapy for metastatic melanoma.”
It is important, however, for patients with metastatic melanoma to speak with their physician regarding their individual risks and benefits of the addition of biologic agents to their treatment regimen as previous studies have produced conflicting results.
Reference: Bajetta E, Del Vecchio M, Nova P, et al. Multicenter Phase III Randomized Trial of Polychemotherapy (CVD regimen) Versus the Same Chemotherapy (CT) plus Subcutaneous Interleukin-2 and Interferon-2b in Metastatic Melanoma. Annals of Oncology. 2006; 17: 571-577.
Melanoma is a type of aggressive skin cancer that typically originates from a mole. Metastatic melanoma refers to cancer that has spread from its site of origin to distant sites in the body. Overall survival for metastatic melanoma remains unfavorable with standard therapies.
Melanoma is often non-responsive to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Some research has indicated that stimulating the immune system to fight cancer with biologic agents such as interferon or interleukin improves outcomes. However, the use of biologic agents in the treatment of metastatic melanoma has not consistently shown improvements over other therapies.
To further evaluate the use of biologic agents in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, researchers from Italy and St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas, recently conducted a phase III clinical trial to directly compare different therapeutic regimens in patients with this disease.
This trial included 151 patients with metastatic melanoma who had not received prior therapy. Approximately half of the patients were treated with CVD, and the other half received CVD plus interferon and interleukin. Both groups experienced similar delay of cancer progression and overall survival times:
Anticancer responses were achieved in 21% of patients treated with CVD and 33% of patients treated with CVD plus interferon and interleukin.
Median time to cancer progression was identical between the two groups of patients.
Median overall survival was 12 months for those treated with CVD and 11 months for those treated with CVD plus interferon and interleukin.
At 52 months following initiation of therapy, 10% of patients were alive.
The researchers concluded that the addition of interferon and interleukin to CVD did not delay cancer progression or overall survival compared to CVD alone when used as initial treatment for metastatic melanoma. The authors stated that the addition of interferon and interleukin to CVD “cannot be recommended as standard first-line therapy for metastatic melanoma.”
It is important, however, for patients with metastatic melanoma to speak with their physician regarding their individual risks and benefits of the addition of biologic agents to their treatment regimen as previous studies have produced conflicting results.
Reference: Bajetta E, Del Vecchio M, Nova P, et al. Multicenter Phase III Randomized Trial of Polychemotherapy (CVD regimen) Versus the Same Chemotherapy (CT) plus Subcutaneous Interleukin-2 and Interferon-2b in Metastatic Melanoma. Annals of Oncology. 2006; 17: 571-577.
posted by TM at 8:43 AM
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