Immunotherapy does not prolong life in malignant melanoma

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy for malignant melanoma does not improve survival prospects, according to a new review.
Around 53,600 people are diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, every year. And 7,400 patients will die of the disease. Oral or injected chemotherapy can be effective, however, if started when melanoma is at an early stage. Recently, researchers have been looking into the application of immunotherapy to malignant melanoma. Immunotherapy stimulates the immune system and helps it to fight cancer. A group led by Dr Andre Sasse of Onco-Evidencias in Sao Paolo, Brazil, has now reported on the effectiveness of immunotherapy for the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization evaluating medical research.

They reviewed 18 studies covering 2,625 patients with malignant melanoma who were treated either with chemotherapy alone, or with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The addition of immunotherapy did not prolong survival time. The immunotherapies used were interferon and interleukin-2 and both were associated with serious side effects. Interleukin-2, which has to be administered in hospital, causes fluid build up in the body, while interferon causes flu-like symptoms. The researchers conclude that newer forms of both chemotherapy and immunotherapy are needed to treat malignant melanoma - at present, the outlook is poor in advanced disease.

Source
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 Issue 1

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