ORR was higher in the fotemustine arm compared to the DTIC arm in first-line treatment of disseminated melanoma. A trend in favor of fotemustine in terms of overall survival and time to BM was evidenced.

The purpose of this randomized trial was to evaluate the efficacy of combination chemoimmunotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone. A total of 124 patients were randomized to receive intravenous cisplatin (35 mg m 72 , days 1 -3), carmustine (150 mg m 72 , day 1, cycles 1 and 3 only), dacarbacine (220 mg m 72 , days 1 -3) and oral tamoxifen (20 mg m 72 , daily) in combination with (n=64) or without (n=60) sequential subcutaneous IL-2 and IFN-a. In those patients who received sequential immunotherapy, each cycle of chemotherapy was followed by outpatient s.c. IL-2 (10610 6 IU m 72 , days 3 -5, week 4; 5610 6 IU m 72 , days 1, 3, 5, week 5) and s.c. IFN-a (5610 6 IU m 72 , day 1, week 4; days 1, 3, 5, week 5). The overall response rate of patients treated with the combination of chemotherapy and IL-2/IFN-a was 34.3% with seven complete responses (10.9%) and 15 partial responses (23.4%). In patients treated with chemotherapy, only, the overall response rate was 29.9% with eight complete responses (13.3%) and 10 partial responses (16.6%). There was no significant difference in median progression free survival (0 months vs 4 months) and in median overall survival (12 months vs 13 months) for combined chemoimmunotherapy and for chemotherapy, respectively.

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Abstract. In this communication, we will present a very rare case of the coexistence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; low malignant lymphocytic lymphoma of the B-cell type) and a non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). A patient with a 15-year history of NHL developed a generalized relapse of the lymphoma with an additional tumor mass in the left lower lobe of the lung. Bronchoscopy showed the evidence of the NHL. Due to non-responding chemotherapy on the lung tumor, the coexistence of a second malignancy was histologically proved in a second bronchoscopy. Resection of the lung tumor with complex lobectomy and lymphadenectomy was performed. After that, chemotherapy with four cycles of carboplatin supplemented with taxol was induced. The patient was discharged from the hospital with a stable remission of both tumor diseases. Restaging after six months showed no evidence of a tumor relapse. This is a very rare case of the coexistence of NHL and NSCLC; we will discuss the difficulty of diagnostic and treatment of both tumor diseases.