Metastatic malignant melanoma treated with procarbazine, vincristine and lomustine (POC)

Fourteen consecutive melanoma patients with evaluable metastatic disease were treated with combination chemotherapy including procarbazine, vincristine and lomustine (POC). All but two patients had been previously treated with single agent chemotherapy (dacarbazine 11 patients, melphalan plus hyperthermia 1 patient). One transient partial response and 4 stable disease were noted. Median overall survival was 5 months. In our experience POC seems unlikely to improve the response rate compared with other chemotherapy combinations. Patient characteristics can partially explain the contrasting results reported in the literature.