Proceedings

Regional Perfusion for Melanoma of the Extremities

Department of Surgery, University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland

^* Requests for Reprints to: Robert O. Pfefferkom, C.C.P., CardioSciences, Inc., 2500 Townsgate Road, Suite E, Westlake Village, CA 91361.

Abstract

A common cause for treatment failure in patients with malignant melanoma is local or regional recurrence of the disease. It is presumed that the poor treatment response rate is due to occult metastases present during the initial treatment phase. In an effort to improve response rate and survival, 15 patients with malignant melanoma of an extremity underwent isolated regional limb perfusion combined with hyperthermia and the cytotoxic drug Imidazole Carboxamide (DTIC). Study objectives include examination of response, subsequent tumor behavior after treatment, and the side effects of hyperthermia on the extremity. The 0-2 year response rate is 100%. None of the patients developed local recurrence, intransit or lymph node metastases, or disseminated tumor. There have been no surgical deaths and only a few patients developed some symptomatology of the known toxic side effects of the chemotherapeutic agent. Our early experience justifies the continued employment of regional hyperthermic chemotherapeutic isolation perfusion as an ideal treatment for patients who have malignant melanoma confined to an extremity.