Bleomycin, vincristine, lomustine, and DTIC chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma

Forty-six consecutive, evaluable patients with a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma without prior chemotherapy were treated with bleomycin, vincristine, lomustine, and DTIC (BOLD). Treatment was repeated every 28 days for two cycles. Complete restaging then was performed, and response to treatment was determined. Of the 46 patients, five (11%) achieved a complete response, five (11%) achieved a partial response, nine (19%) obtained disease stabilization, and 27 (59%) had progressive disease. If four patients who died of rapidly progressive disease are included, the response rate drops to 20%. Overall median survival was 6 months. These results are inferior to the 40% and 46% response rates reported by other investigators. The modest response rate toxicity and expense of the regimen do not support its use in metastatic melanoma except, perhaps, in selected patients with soft tissue and/or lung metastasis.