RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF CHLORPROMAZINE, CAFFEINE, AND METHYL-CCNU IN DISSEMINATED MELANOMA

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (1) , 151-153
Abstract
Evaluable patients (157) with advanced metastatic malignant melanoma were randomly assigned to receive either methyl-CCNU [1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea] (MeCCNU)(200 mg/m2) orally every 6 wk (82 patients) or a combination of MeCCNU, chlorpromazine (50 mg/m2 i.m.) and caffeine (600 mg/m2 s.c.) in the periumbilical area (75 patients). The response rate was 12% for the combination (3 complete responses and 6 partial responses) and 11% for MeCCNU alone (2 complete responses and 7 partial responses). The median survival was 20 wk and was the same for both treatments. Caffeine and chlorpromazine apparently do not enhance MeCCNU activity in malignant melanoma, unlike the marked enhancement seen for this drug combination in L1210 leukemia in mice.