Hyperthermic adjuvant perfusion chemotherapy for stage I malignant melanoma of the extremity with literature review

Thirty‐nine patients with clinical Stage I malignant melanoma of the extremities were treated with hyperthermic perfusion chemotherapy using melphalan followed by excision or wide re‐excision of the area and regional lymph node dissection. Four patients with positive lymph nodes, on histologic examination, were considered pathologic Stage II. Seventy‐two patients with clinical Stage I extremity melanomas, who were treated by conventional surgical methods, served as concurrent controls, and were comparable in the distribution of their various pretreatment characteristics. The actuarial survivals for clinical Stage I perfusion patients calculated by the life‐table method at 5, 10, and 15 years were 91%, 86%, and 77%, respectively, and disease‐free survivals were 85%, 80%, and 80%, respectively. These figures were significantly better than controls. A Breslow depth of invasion of > 1.5 mm showed a significant difference in both clinical and pathologic Stage I disease as compared with the controls. Similarly, perfused patients aged ⩽50 years survived significantly better than controls in both clinical and pathologic Stage I disease. The literature has been reviewed. Cancer 52:2033‐2039, 1983.