Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation - Blog Science Connections

Treatment of Advanced Melanoma With High-Dose
Chemotherapy and Autologous Bone
Marrow Transplantation
R. H. Herzig, S. N. Wolff, J. W. Fay, C. F. LeMaistre, D. Frei-Lahr,
J. N. Lowder, G. L Phillips, and G. P. Herzig
The treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma is quite difficult because of
the resistance to chemotherapy. A large number of agents have been
studied, with DTIC (dacarbazine) most extensively evaluated. The response
rate (complete and partial) in patients receiving dacarbazine alone or in
combination is about 20% (1,2). We have explored the use of autologous
bone marrow to permit dose intensification of alkylating agents with the
anticipation of improving the response in patients with metastatic malignant
melanoma. The results of our phase 1 and II studies include the single-agent
studies of l,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-l-nitrosourea (BCNCJ) (or carmustine),
melphalan, and triethylenethiophosphoramide (thio-TEPA); also included is
the study of the combination of carmustine and melphalan.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patients
Patients eligible for treatment had metastatic melanoma and met the
requirements of participation in our phase I and II trials of intensive
537