High-Dose or Low-Dose Interferon Alfa Compared With No Further Therapy Following Surgery in Treating Patients With Stage III Melanoma

Summary

RATIONALE: Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. It is not known whether giving high-dose or low-dose interferon alfa is more effective than no further therapy in treating patients with stage III melanoma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of high- or low-dose interferon alfa with that of no further therapy following surgery in treating patients who have stage III melanoma.

Timeline

Start

1996-04

Primary completion

—

Completion

—

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper At 4.5 years, the 25-month interferon group showed a 7.2% increase in rate of DMFI (hazard ratio 0.83, 97.5% CI 0.66-1.03) PMID 16198768 ↗

paper Interferon alfa as used in the regimens studied does not improve outcome for patients with stage IIb/III melanomas, and cannot be recommended. PMID 16198768 ↗

Publications

• Background Eggermont AM, Suciu S, Testori A, Kruit WH, Marsden J, Punt CJ, Santinami M, Sales F, Schadendorf D, Patel P, Dummer R, Robert C, Keilholz U, Yver A, Spatz A. Ulceration and stage are predictive of interferon efficacy in melanoma: results of the phase III adjuvant trials EORTC 18952 and EORTC 18991. Eur J Cancer. 2012 Jan;48(2):218-25. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2011.09.028. Epub 2011 Nov 5.
• Background Bouwhuis MG, Suciu S, Collette S, Aamdal S, Kruit WH, Bastholt L, Stierner U, Sales F, Patel P, Punt CJ, Hernberg M, Spatz A, ten Hagen TL, Hansson J, Eggermont AM; EORTC Melanoma Group and the Nordic Melanoma Group. Autoimmune antibodies and recurrence-free interval in melanoma patients treated with adjuvant interferon. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009 Jun 16;101(12):869-77. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djp132. Epub 2009 Jun 9.
• Background Eggermont AM, Punt CJ. Does adjuvant systemic therapy with interferon-alpha for stage II-III melanoma prolong survival? Am J Clin Dermatol. 2003;4(8):531-6. doi: 10.2165/00128071-200304080-00002.
• Results Bouwhuis MG, Collette S, Suciu S, de Groot ER, Kruit WH, Ten Hagen TL, Aarden LA, Eggermont AM, Swaak AJ; EORTC Melanoma Group. Changes of ferritin and CRP levels in melanoma patients treated with adjuvant interferon-alpha (EORTC 18952) and prognostic value on treatment outcome. Melanoma Res. 2011 Aug;21(4):344-51. doi: 10.1097/CMR.0b013e328346c17f.
• Results Bouwhuis MG, Suciu S, Kruit W, Sales F, Stoitchkov K, Patel P, Cocquyt V, Thomas J, Lienard D, Eggermont AM, Ghanem G; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Melanoma Group. Prognostic value of serial blood S100B determinations in stage IIB-III melanoma patients: a corollary study to EORTC trial 18952. Eur J Cancer. 2011 Feb;47(3):361-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2010.10.005. Epub 2010 Nov 17.
• Results Bouwhuis M, Suciu S, Kruit W, et al.: Prognostic value of autoantibodies (auto-AB) in melanoma patients (pts) in the EORTC 18952 trial of adjuvant interferon (IFN) compared to observation (obs). [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 25 (Suppl 18): A-8507, 473s, 2007.
• Results Suciu S, Ghanem G, Kruit W, et al.: Serum S-100B protein is a strong independent prognostic marker for distant-metastasis free survival (DMFS) in stage III melanoma patients: an evaluation of the EORTC randomized trial 18952 comparing IFNα versus observation. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 25 (Suppl 18): A-8518, 476s, 2007.
• Results Eggermont AM, Suciu S, MacKie R, Ruka W, Testori A, Kruit W, Punt CJ, Delauney M, Sales F, Groenewegen G, Ruiter DJ, Jagiello I, Stoitchkov K, Keilholz U, Lienard D; EORTC Melanoma Group. Post-surgery adjuvant therapy with intermediate doses of interferon alfa 2b versus observation in patients with stage IIb/III melanoma (EORTC 18952): randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2005 Oct 1;366(9492):1189-96. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67482-X.

Drugs

Evaluation	Drug	Modality	Dose	Route
Subject	interferon alfa-2b	Protein / enzyme biologic	5e+06 iu	Subcutaneous
Subject	interferon alfa-2b	Protein / enzyme biologic	1e+07 iu	Subcutaneous

Indications