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Cancer Biotherapy & Radiopharmaceuticals
Dose-Dependent Treatment Benefit in High-Risk Melanoma Patients Receiving Adjuvant High-Dose Interferon Alfa-2b

To cite this article:
Michael Fluck, Darab Kamanabrou, Andrea Lippold, Martina Reitz, Jens Atzpodien. Cancer Biotherapy & Radiopharmaceuticals. June 2005, 20(3): 280-289. doi:10.1089/cbr.2005.20.280.

Published in Volume: 20 Issue 3: June 30, 2005

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Michael Fluck
Department of Oncology, Fachklinik Hornheide at the University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Darab Kamanabrou
Department of Dokumentation and Statistics, Fachklinik Hornheide at the University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Andrea Lippold
Department of Dokumentation and Statistics, Fachklinik Hornheide at the University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Martina Reitz
European Institute for Tumor Immunology and Prevention (EUTIP), Bonn, Germany.
Jens Atzpodien
Department of Oncology, Fachklinik Hornheide at the University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
European Institute for Tumor Immunology and Prevention (EUTIP), Bonn, Germany.

This retrospective analysis of 150 consecutive high-risk melanoma patients treated with high-dose interferon alfa-2b at a single institution demonstrates similar relapse-free and overall survival data, as previously published from Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) and Intergroup trials. The data suggest at least a transient dose dependency of the treatment effect on relapse-free and overall survival with high-dose interferon in high-risk melanoma patients. Background: Adjuvant high-dose interferon seems to be the best adjuvant treatment option for patients with high-risk melanoma (AJCC-stage IIC, III) after definitive surgery. Methods: One-hundred fifty consecutive patients were treated at our institution during the period from September 1997 to March 2003 were retrospectively studied. Results: After a median follow-up of 35 months, 63% of patients had developed a melanoma relapse, and 37% were relapse- free. Fifty-five percent of patients are still alive, and 45% had died—all but 3 patients from melanoma. Patients with stage IIC disease demonstrated a similar unfavorable course of disease as patients with stage IIIC disease (2-year relapse-free survival 18% and 26%). We identified two groups of patients with different cumulative interferon dose-levels (≥90% and <90% of the projected dose, according to the protocol), who demonstrated at least transient differences, both in terms of relapse-free and overall survival; the predictive impact was statistically independent upon the Cox regression analysis. Conclusions: Our clinical data are consistent with the published ECOG and Intergroup data dealing with highdose interferon in high-risk melanoma patients. The data suggest a dose-dependency on the treatment effect and, therefore, support further prospective trials comparing different dose-distribution patterns in high-dose interferon.

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GM-CSF Plus Antigenic Peptide Vaccination in Locally Advanced Melanoma Patients
Jens Atzpodien, Martina Reitz
Cancer Biotherapy & Radiopharmaceuticals. Aug 2007, Vol. 22, No. 4: 551-555
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