[The present status of the multidisciplinary treatment of malignant melanoma]

Malignant melanoma is one of the malignant tumors that prognosis is still gravest. Over the past years, a number of approaches have been used in treating this disease. And recently it has been said that multidisciplinary treatment should be needed for patients with stage 1 b and more advanced stage. At present, most frequently used combined chemotherapeutic regimens DAV (DTIC, ACNU and Vincristine) and PAV (Peplomycin, ACNU and Vincristine). With regard to radiotherapy, fast neutron and irradiation with hyperthermia has been recognized to be useful for malignant melanoma. Recently immunotherapy has been applied to the treatment of malignant melanoma. It is expected that multidisciplinary treatment will improve the prognosis of malignant melanoma.