A pilot study of paclitaxel combined with gemcitabine followed by interleukin-2 and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor for patients with metastatic melanoma

Figures & data

Table 1. Patient characteristics (n = 27)

Characteristics	No.
Sex	18
male	9
female	5
Age	22
≥ 60 y	27
< 60 y	0
PS (ECOG)	10
0–1	8
≥ 2	4
Primary site	1
acral(feet)	1
skin of trunk	1
skin of head and neck	2
nasal	12
choriod	15
rectum	8
unidentified	19
Metasis
1 site
≥ 2 sites
Previous DTIC chemotherapy
yes
no

Table 2. Adverse events of PGIG agents (n = 27)

Adverse events	Grade 1–2	Grade 3–4	Total(%)
Arthralgia	10 (37.0%)	1 (3.7%)	11 (40.7%)
Rash and pruritus	10 (37.0%)	3 (11.1%)	13 (48.1%)
Chills and fever	20 (74.0%)	4 (14.8%)	24 (88.8%)
Cardiac toxicity	4 (14.8%)	1 (3.7%)	5(18.5%)
Neutropenia	8 (29.6%)	6 (22.3%)	14 (51.9%)
Anorexia	7 (25.9%)	0	7(25.9%)
Asthenia	4 (14.8%)	0	4(14.8%)

Figure 1. The patient that suffered from rash and pruritus and experienced vitiligo after 2 mo of PGIG treatment (shown by the arrow).

Figure 2. Actuarial Kaplan-Meier survival curves for overall survival.

Table 3. Response to PGIG chemobiotherapy

	PR	SD	PD
Total (n = 27)	5 (18.5%)	14 (51.9%)	8 (29.6%)
Rash and pruritus	4 (30.8%)	6 (46.2%)	3 (23.0%)
Yes (n = 13)	1 (7.1%)	8 (57.1%)	5 (35.8%)
No (n = 14)

Figure 3. (A) The patient that suffered from unresectable melanoma metastasis to the lymph node beside the iliac blood vessels (shown by the arrow) (B) Shrinking of the lymph node (shown by the arrow), which contained unresectable melanoma metastases following 2 cycles of PGIG treatment (C) The lymph node that had contained metastatic melanoma is hardly visible (shown by the arrow) at a follow-up time of 28 mo.