POST-OPERATIVE ADJUVANT INTERFERON-ALFA-2B (INTRON-A) TREATMENT AFTER RESECTION OF THICK PRIMARY MELANOMA AND/OR REGIONAL LYMPHNODE METASTASES 'INTERMEDIATE-HIGH DOSE' VS INTERMEDIATE-LOW DOSE' IFN-ALFA VS OBSERVATION: A 3-ARM MULTICENTER RANDOMIZED PHASE III TRIAL
recombinant interferon alfa
Neoplasms+9
+ Neoplasms by Histologic Type
+ Neoplasms by Site
Treatment Study
Summary
Study start date: April 1, 1996
Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the time to distant metastasis, death due to melanoma, and overall survival in patients with high-risk stage III melanoma treated with 10 MU of interferon alfa (IFN-A) for 4 weeks followed by 1 year of IFN-A at 10 MU three times per week vs. 2 years of IFN-A at 5 MU three times per week vs. observation alone. II. Assess the toxicity associated with IFN-A. III. Compare the quality of life, costs, and compliance associated with each treatment regimen. OUTLINE: Randomized study. Following definitive surgical resection, patients are randomly assigned in a 2:2:1 ratio to Arms A, B, and C, respectively. Arm A: Biological Response Modifier Therapy. Interferon alfa-2b (Schering), IFN-A, NSC-377523. Higher dose. Arm B: Biological Response Modifier Therapy. IFN-A. Lower dose. Arm C: Control. Observation. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 1,000 patients will be entered over approximately 4 years in this multicenter study.
Protocol
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.1000 patients to be enrolled
Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.Treatment Study
Eligibility
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.Any sex
Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.From 16 to 75 Years
Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.Healthy volunteers not allowed
If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.Conditions
Pathology
Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Cutaneous melanoma in one of the following categories: T4, N0, M0 Deep primary tumor with Breslow depth greater than 4.0 cm Tx, N1, M0 Primary tumor with regional lymph node metastases found at lymphadenectomy but clinically undetectable Tx, N2, M0 Clinically apparent regional lymph node metastases (synchronous or metachronous) confirmed by lymphadenectomy Definitive surgical resection and lymphadenectomy with pathologically confirmed adequate surgical margins required Minimum 2 cm margin for primary lesions with Breslow depth greater than 2 mm Distal interphalangeal amputation required for subungual melanomas No primary melanoma originating apart from the skin No multiple in transit metastases in an extremity No lymph node involvement outside the operative area resected by radical neck, axillary lymph node, or ilioinguinal dissection PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 16 to 75 Performance status: ECOG 0 or 1 Hematopoietic: WBC at least 4,000 Platelets at least 125,000 Hemoglobin at least 9.8 g/dL (6.1 mmol/L) Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 2 times normal AST no greater than 2 times normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL (140 micromoles/L) Cardiovascular: No ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmia requiring treatment No congestive heart failure (NYHA class 3/4 status) Other: No uncontrolled infection No requirement for ongoing steroids, NSAIDs, or other immunomodulators No organic brain syndrome or significant impairment of basal cognitive function No psychiatric disorder that would preclude study participation or would be exacerbated by study therapy (e.g., depression) No second malignancy except: In situ cervical cancer Nonmelanomatous skin cancer No pregnant or nursing women PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: No prior treatment on this protocol for patients with recurrent melanoma at regional lymph nodes No preoperative infusion or perfusion therapy Biologic therapy: No prior adjuvant immunotherapy Chemotherapy: No prior adjuvant systemic chemotherapy No prior anthracyclines Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior adjuvant radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics
Study Centers
These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.This study has 86 locations
Landeskrankenanstalten - Salzburg
Salzburg, AustriaHopital Universitaire Erasme
Brussels, BelgiumInstitut Jules Bordet
Brussels (Bruxelles), Belgium