A Randomized Phase III Trial of Hyperthermic Isolated Limb Perfusion With Melphalan, Tumor Necrosis Factor, and Interferon-Gamma in Patients With Locally Advanced Extremity Melanoma

Randomized study. Initially, 3 patients will be entered on Arm I as a pilot feasibility study and to standardize the technical aspects of the study. Subsequently, all patients are randomized to Arms I and II. Arm I: Regional Hyperthermia plus Regional Single-Agent Chemotherapy. Hyperthermic intravenous limb perfusion, HILP; plus Melphalan, L-PAM, NSC-8806. Arm II: Regional Hyperthermia plus Regional Single-Agent Chemotherapy and Biological Response Modifier Therapy. HILP as in Arm I; plus L-PAM; and Tumor Necrosis Factor (Knoll), TNF, NSC-635257; Interferon gamma (Genentech), IFN-G, NSC-600662. Patients with locally advanced melanoma confined to an extremity (Stage IIIA or Stage IIIAB) will be treated in a randomized Phase III study with hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion. One arm of the study will be a standard 60 minute perfusion with melphalan as a single agent. The second arm of the study will combine melphalan, tumor necrosis factor, and interferon-gamma in the isolated limb perfusion reproducing a regimen shown to have 100% response rates in a Phase II European trial. Patients will be followed for local response rates, duration of response, treatment toxicity, and disease-free survival.