Health-related quality of life before and during adjuvant interferon-α treatment for patients with malignant melanoma (DeCOG-trial).

Adjuvant treatment with interferon-α (IFN-α) for patients with malignant melanoma can improve relapse-free and overall survival, but IFN-associated side effects may reduce patient's quality of life. The aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with melanoma before and during Low-Dose IFN-α therapy. In a prospective multicenter trial conducted by the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group, 850 patients with cutaneous stage II malignant melanoma received a standard Low-Dose of IFN-α-2a.

Efficacy of low-dose interferon {alpha}2a 18 versus 60 months of treatment in patients with primary melanoma of >= 1.5 mm tumor thickness: results of a randomized phase III DeCOG trial.

PURPOSE Low-dose (LD) interferon (IFN) alfa (LDI) has demonstrated a consistent disease-free survival benefit for patients with clinically lymph node-negative melanoma in clinical trials. However, the optimal duration of treatment is still under discussion, and no previous trial has evaluated this question specifically. A prolongation of LDI from 18 months to 60 months might be of clinical benefit for patients with intermediate or high-risk melanoma.

Depressive mood changes and psychiatric symptoms during 12-month low-dose interferon-alpha treatment in patients with malignant melanoma: results from the multicenter DeCOG trial.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the incidence, spectrum and extent of psychiatric symptoms in patients with malignant melanoma (MM) before and during adjuvant treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). 850 patients with cutaneous MM of > or =1.5 mm tumor thickness received standard low-dose IFN-alpha 2a in this prospective multicenter trial of the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group (DeCOG).

Prospective randomized multicenter adjuvant dermatologic cooperative oncology group trial of low-dose interferon alfa-2b with or without a modified high-dose interferon alfa-2b induction phase in patients with lymph node-negative melanoma.

PURPOSE Interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) has shown clinical efficacy in the adjuvant treatment of patients with high-risk melanoma in several clinical trials, but optimal dosing and duration of treatment are still under discussion. It has been argued that in high-dose IFN-alpha (HDI), the intravenous (IV) induction phase might be critical for the clinical benefit of the regimen. PATIENTS AND METHODS In an attempt to investigate the potential role of a modified high-dose induction phase, lymph node-negative patients with resected primary malignant melanoma of more than 1.

Adjuvant treatment with vindesine in comparison to observation alone in patients with metastasized melanoma after complete metastasectomy: a randomized multicenter trial of the German Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vindesine in patients with metastatic melanoma after complete metastasectomy. One hundred and forty-two patients with metastatic spread to regional sites, lymph nodes, and distant sites after complete metastasectomy were randomized to receive either treatment with vindesine for 2 years or observation alone. Vindesine 3 mg/m intravenously was administered biweekly for the first 26 weeks following 3-week intervals for an additional 26 weeks and thereafter every 4 weeks for 52 weeks.