Outcomes in Melanoma Patients Treated with IL-2 Versus IL-2 and Vaccine

Clinical Center

Investigators

Abstract

A randomized controlled trial (n=185) of high dose IL-2 versus high dose IL-2 plus vaccine has been recently completed, and demonstrated significant improvements in disease control associated with treatment with high-dose IL-2 plus vaccine (p<.05) after two cycles of treatment (4). Yet clinicians knowledge of the impact of this treatment on HRQL, fatigue, symptoms, and self-assessed physical and mental health is sparse. Such knowledge would be valuable to patients and families when choosing from among available treatment options, and could be used by clinicians to develop improved supportive care treatment approaches for patients receiving treatment for metastatic melanoma. An analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of the addition of vaccine to high-dose IL-2 on patient-reported outcomes of HRQOL, self-assessed health status and fatigue, at the end of cycle 2 of treatment (approximately 6-7 weeks). The statistical analysis is complete and results were presented at the 2011 Oncology Nursing Society Research Symposium. Maunuscript is under development.