Age Has No Significant Impact on Overall Survival and on Treatment Tolerability in Relapsed Stage IV Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma Patients Receiving Cisplatin, Gemcitabine, and Treosulfan

Objectives: We compared the efficacy and tolerability of cisplatin, gemcitabine, and treosulfan (CGT) therapy in younger patients (age, <60 years) and in elderly patients (age, >= 60 years) with pretreated relapsed American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IV cutaneous malignant melanoma. Patients and Methods: A total of 91 patients at the age of 18 to 80 years, in relapse after first-, second-, or third-line therapy received 40 mg/m(2) intravenous (i.v.) cisplatin, 1000 mg/m(2) i.v. gemcitabine, and 2500 mg/m(2) i.v. treosulfan on days 1 and 8. CGT-therapy was repeated every 5 weeks until progression of disease occurred. Results: Younger (n = 49) and elderly (n = 42) patients showed a significant difference in disease stabilization in 25% versus 7% (P <= 0.05), as opposed to 69% versus 91% patients exhibiting disease progression. In contrast, the overall median survival probability was not significantly different (P = 0.8153). Neither treatment-related toxicity nor toxicity-associated dose reduction showed substantial differences. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that CGT therapy could be safely administered to a patient up to age 80 years.