Treatment Information

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Melanoma treatment details. Chemotherapy.

St. Luke's Hospital, Bethlehem, PA, United States.

Survival: monthsCountry:United States
Toxiciy Grade:4City/State/Province:Bethlehem, PA
Treatments:ChemotherapyHospital:St. Luke's Hospital
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Jun 2009

Description:

Patients:
This phase III trial involved advanced melanoma patients who had progressed following treatment with dacarbazine or temozolomide. Patients were divided into 2 separate treatment groups. Group A consisted of 135 patients with a median age of 56 years and 64% male. Group B had 135 patients with a median age of 57 years and 62% male.

Treatment:
Group A was treated with the chemotherapy agents carboplatin and paclitaxel. Group B was treated with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and the biologic therapy agent sorafenib.

Toxicities:
The maximum toxicity level reported for group A was of grade 4 and included neutropenia (32% of patients with grade 4). Grade 3 sensory neuropathy was reported by 13% of patients.

There were 4 treatment-related deaths in group B. Causes included neutropenic sepsis (blood infection), and cerebral hemorrhage.

Results:
The median overall survival for both groups A and B was 9.7 months.

Support:
This study was supported by the pharmaceutical companies Bayer AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc..

Correspondence: Sanjiv S. Agarwala; email: [email protected]



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