BCG immunotherapy in previously treated malignant melanoma patients

Eighteen patients with histologically confirmed metastatic malignant melanoma were treated with intradermal BCG. Before starting immunotherapy their immunocompetence was tested in vivo and in vitro. Four of 15 (27%) achieved complete regression, and two (13%) a regression of more than 50%, after systemic BCG. All three patients treated with perinodular injection of BCG had complete regression of treated as well as some of untreated nodules. Treatment was unsuccessful in 9 patients. Five of them (33%) had a disease stabilisation for more than 5 months. The results of BCG immunotherapy were compared with those of chemotherapy alone. The immunotherapy patients had longer remissions and survived longer than those treated by chemotherapy. All patients had repeat skin tests with PPD after BCG but showed no significant improvement in tuberculin reactivity. Despite, their clinical condition often being improved after BCG. We conclude that BCG may be of considerable benefit to malignant melanoma patients.