DTIC and GM-CSF in the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma.

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e19045 Background: To describe patients with metastatic melanoma being treated with mono-therapy, dacarbazine (DTIC) or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Methods: Using a large U.S. medical claims database, patients were identified between 2005 and 2010 using ≥2 melanoma diagnoses (ICD-9-CM: 172.xx, V10.82) and ≥2 diagnoses for metastasis (ICD-9-CM: 197.xx, 198.xx). Patients who received mono-therapy with DTIC or GM-CSF as the first documented drug therapy after metastatic diagnosis were identified. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment duration were compared between patients treated with DTIC and those who received GM-CSF. Furthermore, comparisons were also made between the two treatment groups after 1-to-1 matching on age, gender, and baseline comorbidities. Results: A total of 81 patients with metastatic melanoma receiving first-line DTIC and 24 patients with metastatic melanoma receiving first-line GM-CSF were included in this analysis. On average, DTIC patients were 8.5 years older (p = 0.009) and had higher baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (D0.43, p = 0.005) than GM-CSF patients. The mean duration of first line treatment was 94 days on DTIC and 135 days on GM-CSF. The mean length of follow-up from the start of first line was 257 days on DTIC and 451 days on GM-CSF. After each GM-CSF patient was matched with a DTIC patient on age, gender, and baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index score, the mean duration of first line treatment was 79 days on matched DTIC and 135 days on GM-CSF, and the mean length of follow-up from the start of first line was 317 days on matched DTIC and 451 days on GM-CSF. Conclusions: Patients with metastatic melanoma who received DTIC treatment were older and had higher comorbidity index scores but shorter treatment duration than those who received GM-CSF; the difference in treatment duration remained after DTIC patients were matched with GM-CSF patients on age, gender and comorbidity index scores.