Adjuvant vaccine immunotherapy of resected, clinically node-negative melanoma: long-term outcome and impact of HLA class I antigen expression on overall survival.

Associations between HLA class I antigen expression and the efficacy of a melanoma vaccine (Melacine; Corixa Corp.) were initially described in stage IV melanoma. Similar associations were observed in S9035, a phase III adjuvant trial evaluating Melacine for 2 years compared with observation in patients with stage II melanoma.

Ensuring timely completion of type and screen testing and the verification of ABO/Rh status for elective surgical patients.

Context: A blood bank can provide compatible blood for an elective surgical procedure, provided a blood sample is received by the laboratory with sufficient time to allow pretransfusion testing and acquire enough compatible red blood cell units. With the push for same-day admission surgical procedures, a patient's pretransfusion blood sample is often collected the morning of surgery. However, if blood is needed, compatible units might not be immediately available.

Critical laboratory value notification: a failure mode effects and criticality analysis.

Background: The Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) was applied to improve the timeliness of reporting and the timeliness of receipt by the responsible licensed caregiver of critical laboratory values (CLVs) for outpatients and non-critical care inpatients.

Methods: Through a risk prioritization process, the most important areas for improvement, including contacting the provider, assisting the provider in contacting the patient, and educating the provider in follow-up options available during off hours, were identified.

Actions Taken: A variety of systemic improvements were made; for example, the CLV notification process was centralized in the customer service center, with databases to help providers select options and make arrangements for follow-up care and an electronic abstract form to document the CLV notification process.

Adjuvant immunotherapy of resected, intermediate-thickness, node-negative melanoma with an allogeneic tumor vaccine: impact of HLA class I antigen expression on outcome.

Purpose: An association between expression of > or = two of five HLA class I antigens (HLA-A2, HLA-A28, HLA-B44, HLA-B45, and HLA-C3; collectively called M5) and response to an allogeneic melanoma vaccine (Melacine; Corixa Corporation, Seattle, WA) has been described in stage IV melanoma. This study investigated whether class I antigen expression impacted relapse-free survival (RFS) after adjuvant therapy with this vaccine.

Patients And Methods: We performed class I (HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-C) serotyping on patients enrolled onto Southwest Oncology Group Trial 9035, a randomized, observation-controlled, phase III trial of adjuvant Melacine.

Adjuvant immunotherapy of resected, intermediate-thickness, node-negative melanoma with an allogeneic tumor vaccine: overall results of a randomized trial of the Southwest Oncology Group.

Purpose: Patients with clinically negative nodes constitute over 85% of new melanoma cases. There is no adjuvant therapy for intermediate-thickness, node-negative melanoma patients.

Patients And Methods: The Southwest Oncology Group conducted a randomized phase III trial of an allogeneic melanoma vaccine for 2 years versus observation in patients with intermediate-thickness (1.