Immunotherapy of malignant melanoma using Interferon-α2b increases the adaptive immune system activity remaining after surgical resection of the tumor to prevent recurrence, and enhance survival. We will compare the therapeutic effect upon disease-free survival, and overall survival of immunotherapy using high-dose interferon-α2b versus combination therapy using the same regimen with additional dacarbazine after surgical resection.

At Kosin University Gospel Hospital, from March, 2003 to July, 2014, 17 patients underwent postoperative adjuvant therapy after being diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Of the 17 patients, eight underwent immunotherapy using interferon and nine underwent combination therapy using interferon with dacarbazine. Average of 29 months in the immunotherapy group and 44 months for the control group.

Of patients receiving interferon-α2b immunotherapy, four patients showed no evidence of local recurrence and local/distant metastasis, two developed local recurrence and metastasis, and two developed distant metastasis. Of those who underwent combination therapy using interferon with dacarbazine, three patients showed no evidence of local recurrence or metastasis, four developed local recurrence and metastasis, and two developed distant metastasis. The average disease-free survival was 25.75 months with interferon therapy and 29.89 months with dacarbazine therapy. The survival difference between the anticancer therapies was not statically significant based on Kaplan-Meier survival.

Postoperative treatment using interferon-α2b has several advantages as an anticancer drug but does not differ significantly from the first-line therapy, dacarbazine.