Unexpected clinical outcome in a patient with liver and brain metastasis from melanoma.

The treatment of disseminated melanoma is inadequate. The most active single agents provide brief objective response in 20% of patients, while the combination chemotherapy improves response rates without any apparent survival benefit. Median overall survival is, in fact, 7-9 months and 5 year survival is approximately 6%. Metastatic melanoma with a localization of the disease in the liver and brain are categorized as M1c and have the worst prognosis. Here we describe the history, treatment and favourable clinical outcome in a young man with liver and resected brain metastases who obtained complete remission for 6 years since chemotherapy with dacarbazine, cisplatin and vinblastine.