| Title | Cytokine therapy in advanced melanoma. | | Author(s) | Kalaaji AN | | Institution | Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. | | Source | J Drugs Dermatol 2007 Apr; 6(4):374-8. | | Abstract | Patients with melanoma considered at high risk for recurrence or regional metastases often have to choose between adjuvant interferon therapy or enrolling in a clinical trial. High-dose interleukin-2 therapy has had limited success in producing durable responses in stage IV melanoma; this success has been offset by marked toxicity. High-dose interferon alpha therapy has consistently shown disease-free survival benefit in clinical trials but has marked toxicity. The overall survival benefit has been inconsistent and controversial. Treatment with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor has shown promise in early studies. Various cytokines have had some success in treating advanced stage melanoma but with marked toxicity. Cytokine therapy that is well-tolerated and consistently provides an overall survival benefit for high-risk melanoma patients has not been achieved. Cytokines will continue to have a role in therapy for advanced-stage melanoma, most likely in combination with other immunomodulatory therapy. The challenge is finding the right doses, frequency, combinations, and duration of treatment. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 17668534 |
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