Adjuvant therapy with recombinant interferon alfa-2a in metastasized malignant melanoma

Recombinant alpha-2a interferon (IFN alpha-2a; Roferon-A) was administered as adjuvant therapy in 21 patients with malignant melanoma stage IIa or IIb after surgical removal of all detectable metastases. Patients received 9 x 10(6) units of IFN alpha-2a s.c. 3 times weekly over 6 months. One patient was treated over 12 months. Relapses occurred in 5 of the 21 patients during therapy, and 10 patients developed new metastases a few weeks or months after the end of therapy. Of the 15 patients with recurrent disease, 9 have since died. One patient without any relapse died of a myocardial infarction 5 months after the start of therapy. Comparison of the 21 treated patients with an untreated historical matched control group did not show any prolongation of the recurrence-free period in the interferon-treated group.