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Randomized Phase II Study of Temozolomide Given Every 8 Hours or Daily With Either Interferon Alfa-2b or Thalidomide in Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

From the Christie Hospital, Manchester; and Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Address reprint requests to S. Danson, MRCP, Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, United Kingdom; email: sdanson{at}fsmail.net.

Purpose: Temozolomide is an imidazotetrazine with a mechanism of action similar to dacarbazine and equivalent activity in melanoma. It is well tolerated and is a candidate for combination chemotherapy and schedule manipulation. In this study, we combined temozolomide with interferon alfa-2b and, separately, with thalidomide, and we administered temozolomide alone in a compressed schedule. The objectives of this randomized phase II, two-center study were to determine response rates, overall survival, and tolerability of the regimens in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.

Patients and Methods: One hundred eighty-one patients with metastatic melanoma were randomly assigned to receive up to six 4-weekly cycles consisting of temozolomide 200 mg/m² every 8 hours for five doses, or temozolomide 200 mg/m² daily for days 1 to 5 plus interferon alfa-2b 5 MU (million International Units) subcutaneously three times a week, or temozolomide 150 mg/m² (increased after one cycle to 200 mg/m²) daily on days 1 to 5 plus thalidomide 100 mg daily days 1 to 28.

Results: The treatment arms were well balanced for known prognostic factors. Median survival was 5.3 months for 8-hourly temozolomide, 7.7 months for temozolomide/interferon, and 7.3 months for temozolomide/thalidomide; and 1-year survivals were 18%, 26%, and 24%, respectively. Response or disease stabilization occurred in 20% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 10% to 33%) given 8-hourly temozolomide, 21% (95% CI, 12% to 33%) given temozolomide/interferon, and 25% (95% CI, 15% to 38%) given temozolomide/thalidomide. Grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic toxicities were similar in each arm except for infection, which was more frequent with 8-hourly temozolomide. There were fewer instances of grade 3 or 4 myelotoxicity with temozolomide/thalidomide.

Conclusion: Of the three regimens tested, the combination of temozolomide and thalidomide seems the most promising for future study.

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