[Adjuvant therapy of melanoma patients with gamma interferon]

In a pilot study, 25 patients with high-risk malignant melanomas (a tumor thickness of more than 3 mm and/or a prognostic index of more than 13) and 15 patients with regional lymph-node metastases from malignant melanoma underwent standard surgical procedures. Afterwards, they were treated with gamma interferon in an adjuvant setting. Gamma interferon (200 micrograms) was given subcutaneously three times a week for 6 months. For three times a week for 6 months. For 25 patients, the follow-up has been 12 months or more; for 15 patients, it has been between 7 and 12 months. Tumor relapse occurred in 9 of 25 patients (36%) with high-risk primary tumors and in 5 of 15 patients (33%) with lymph-node metastases. Since these tumor-progression rates are in the same range as those in comparable patients, who did not undergo adjuvant therapy, one can conclude that the adjuvant gamma interferon regimen used is not effective in patients with high-risk malignant melanomas.