Update on adjuvant interferon therapy for high-risk melanoma

Melanoma is almost 100% curable when diagnosed early, but when metastatic to distant organs, it is associated with a poor survival. The interferons have shown the mostpromise in the treatment of melanoma and interferon-alpha has been the most extensively studied. In recent trials, interferon alfa-2b (Intron A) administered at maximally tolerated doses for 1 year produced improvements in both relapse-free and overall survival. The importance and impact of the IV induction component of high-dose interferon regimens is currently being evaluated in an Intergroup randomized trial. A trial of the GMK vaccine vs high-dose interferon in patients with high-risk melanoma closed early when an interim analysis detected a markedly inferior response in the GMK arm compared to the high-dose interferon arm. The use of surgical staging will help to better define prognostic groups and support ongoing efforts for more effective adjuvant therapy.