Increased expression of the tumor suppressor PLZF is a continuous predictor of long-term survival in malignant melanoma patients.

Promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) is a transcriptional repressor and tumor suppressor inhibiting melanoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo in animal models. In this study, we analyzed the impact of in vivo primary tumor gene expression of PLZF on the long-term survival of malignant melanoma patients. PLZF expression was assessed by using DNA microarray and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of 41 primary malignant melanomas from patients with a defined histology and a close to 20-year clinical follow-up, of 29 melanoma metastases, and of 6 different melanoma cell lines.

Soft x-ray therapy for cutaneous basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

Background: We have used a schedule for soft x-ray therapy of epithelial malignancies that takes into account the clinically diagnosed tumor involution under treatment.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of this schedule in terms of cure rate and late ulcerations.

Methods: Patients with 1267 consecutively irradiated (1988-1992) basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas were followed up (average 77 months).

Dose-dependent treatment benefit in high-risk melanoma patients receiving adjuvant high-dose interferon alfa-2b.

Unlabelled: 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.