Chemosensitivity study

Location: RPAH/ Melanoma Institute Australia North Sydney
Trial Status: Open
Treatment type: Chemotherapy
Stage: Advanced
Intent of treatment: Recurrence prevention

Title: A study of the molecular profile of melanoma chemosensitivity and resistance in patients undergoing intravenous limb infusion for metastatic melanoma. 

This study is designed to investigate whether certain melanomas are resistant to chemotherapy. This will be achieved by analyzing melanoma tissue taken from a tumour biopsy before intravenous limb infusion (ILI) therapy. New laboratory techniques will be used to try to determine a molecular “fingerprint” of those tumours that respond best to chemotherapy.

Isolated Limb Infusion (ILI) with anti-cancer drugs is a form of treatment which may be offered to patients with recurrent melanoma or other types of tumour confined to a limb. For patients with recurrent melanoma confined to a limb which cannot be treated by simple surgical means, ILI is preferred to other methods of treatment because it avoids the need for amputation, and allows large doses of anti-cancer drugs to be delivered to the limb without affecting the rest of the body. Although there are a number of predictable side-effects from the treatment, serious complications are very rare.

Contacts
Principal Investigator: Professor John Thompson
Study Coordinator: Margaret Lett: +61 2 9911 7304

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