Intralesional BCG in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma

The therapeutic efficacy of intralesional BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin; one immunizing dose every 2 weeks for a minimum of five treatments) was studied in 19 melanoma patients. Of 15 patients evaluable for response, five experienced significant objective improvement (two complete and three partial remissions). Objective improvement was limited to those patients with dermal metastatic disease. In vitro cytotoxicity in the presence of patient's serum bore, on average, a relationship to the clinical disease. In certain individual cases, serum blocking and/or lymphocyte stimulation may have had prognostic significance.