Effects of diagnostic application of monoclonal antibody on survival in melanoma patients

Follow-up data of more than 300 melanoma patients were reviewed in which an immunoscintigraphy study had been performed as part of a routine staging protocol, All patients had received a commercially available Tc-99m-labeled F(ab')(2) fragment specific to a high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigen (HRiIWMAA). Survival data of patients that had received one injection (group I) were compared with those receiving two or more injections (group II). For better comparison, patients were matched according to the following risk factors: (i) age, (ii) sex, (iii) tumor level according to Clark, (iv) tumor depth according to Breslow, (v) location of primary tumor, and (vi) metastases [and if positive, (vii) location of metastases]. Twenty-eight patient pairs were established that showed no statistically significant differences comparing the above-mentioned risk factors, In addition, no significant difference was found comparing the interval between primary diagnosis of disease and first injection of monoclonal antibody (MAb) in both groups, In contrast, survival time between first diagnosis of melanoma was significantly prolonged in group II (multiple injections) as compared to group I (single injection), This was true for survival time between primary diagnosis as well as from first injection of MAb until death or closing time of study, Our data suggest, that multiple injections of melanoma-specific F(ab')(2) fragment have a beneficial effect on median survival in melanoma patients.