Adjuvant immunotherapy for patients with melanoma: Are patients with melanoma of the head and neck candidates for this therapy?

Abstract

Background Although a wealth of information is available on adjuvant immunotherapy for melanoma, little is known about adjuvant immunotherapy for head and neck melanoma. Interestingly, a few immunotherapy clinical trials report the observation of clinical responses in a subset of patients with head and neck melanoma. Method An up‐to‐date literature search was performed to identify the current information on adjuvant immunotherapy for patients with melanoma, including head and neck melanoma. Moreover, a retrospective analysis of a subset of primary head and neck melanoma was performed using data from a phase III, randomized, double‐blind, multi‐institutinal, vaccinia melanoma oncolysate adjuvant immunotherapy trial that was performed in our laboratory for patients with stage III (AJCC) melanoma. Results In a passive immunotherapy trial with an antibody to melanoma ganglioside antigen GM2, a complete regression was observed in one patient with lesions of the right cheek. In three active specific immunotherapy trials, including our phase III trial, a subset of patients with head and neck primary melanoma showed a longer disease‐free and overall survival with immunotherapy. Moreover, these clinical responses were correlated to the induction of immune response, delayed‐type hypersensitivity response and melanoma‐specific antibody response. Conclusions The above results therefore suggest that patients with head and neck melanoma clinically respond to immunotherapy. However, these results need to be confirmed in a prospectively randomized trial for patients with head and neck melanoma. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 19: 595–603, 1997.

Melanoma of the head and neck

“…An intensive combination regimen for 48 patients with metastatic regimen was evaluated in a Phase II study using IL-2, cisplatin, vinblastine, temozolomide, and IFN-␣ 2␤ was reasonably well tolerated but resulted in only a 15% complete response with 47% showing some response. In a study [59] of Stage III or IV metastatic melanoma lesions using intralesional IL-2, there were complete responses in 62.5% of patients, the longest lasting 38 months. • Novel diagnostic research has investigated the potential application of host response testing to predict prognosis and potential therapy in cutaneous melanoma.…”

Melanoma of the head and neck

“…An intensive combination regimen for 48 patients with metastatic regimen was evaluated in a Phase II study using IL-2, cisplatin, vinblastine, temozolomide, and IFN-␣ 2␤ was reasonably well tolerated but resulted in only a 15% complete response with 47% showing some response. In a study [59] of Stage III or IV metastatic melanoma lesions using intralesional IL-2, there were complete responses in 62.5% of patients, the longest lasting 38 months. • Novel diagnostic research has investigated the potential application of host response testing to predict prognosis and potential therapy in cutaneous melanoma.…”

Melanoma of the head and neck

“…An intensive combination regimen for 48 patients with metastatic regimen was evaluated in a Phase II study using IL-2, cisplatin, vinblastine, temozolomide, and IFN-␣ 2␤ was reasonably well tolerated but resulted in only a 15% complete response with 47% showing some response. In a study [59] of Stage III or IV metastatic melanoma lesions using intralesional IL-2, there were complete responses in 62.5% of patients, the longest lasting 38 months. • Novel diagnostic research has investigated the potential application of host response testing to predict prognosis and potential therapy in cutaneous melanoma.…”

Melanoma of the head and neck

“…An intensive combination regimen for 48 patients with metastatic regimen was evaluated in a Phase II study using IL-2, cisplatin, vinblastine, temozolomide, and IFN-␣ 2␤ was reasonably well tolerated but resulted in only a 15% complete response with 47% showing some response. In a study [59] of Stage III or IV metastatic melanoma lesions using intralesional IL-2, there were complete responses in 62.5% of patients, the longest lasting 38 months. • Novel diagnostic research has investigated the potential application of host response testing to predict prognosis and potential therapy in cutaneous melanoma.…”