Abstract
We report a patient with malignant melanoma (pT3aN0M0. Stage II ) who died 3 years and 10 months after initial therapy. A 54-year-old Japanese man visited our clinic complaining of a rapidly growing 28×22-mm black tumor on the back. The patient was diagnosed as having malignant melanoma on the basis of clinical and pathological findings, and therefore wide resection and 2 couses of DAV (DTIC, ACNU and VCR) plus IFN-β combination chemotherapy were carried out. Because left axillary lymph node metastases were found 8 months after initial therapy, left axillary lymph node dissection was carried out and 3 couses of CDV (CDDP 125mg, DTIC 800mg and VDS 3mg) therapy were added. Eventually the patient died 3 years and 10 months after initial therapy due to multiple metastases to the liver and skin. Autopsy was not performed.
