Long-term effect of levamisole on the immune functions in melanoma patients

Thirty radically operated patients with a locally advanced malignant melanoma were given adjuvant levamisole orally 50 mg three times a day on two days a week for one to 40 months in order to prevent recurrence of melanoma. During levamisole treatment the number of E- and EAC-rosette forming cells, proliferative responses of lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A and to purified protein derivative of tuberculin were followed at two to four month intervals. All patients were clinically followed at least for five years or to the recurrence of melanoma. Only slight variations occurred in the number of E- and EAC-rosette forming cells and in the responses to mitogens during levamisole treatment. Five out of 30 patients were alive without a recurrence at five years after starting adjuvant levamisole treatment. We conclude that adjuvant levamisole treatment is of no benefit in radically operated melanoma with satellites or metastases in the regional lymph nodes.