An analysis of skin tests and their relationship to recurrence and survival in stage III and stage IV melanoma patients

Abstract

One-hundred-two patients with Stage III and IV malignant melanoma were analyzed to determine whether immunologic status in terms of skin testing along with sex and age played a role in recurrence and survival. Before treatment, patients had skin tests with five recall antigens (monilia, mumps, PPD, SK-SD, trichophyton) along with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Univariate statistical analysis revealed sex as the major significant variable with respect to survival for Stage IVB patients, with female patients surviving longer than males. Patients with resected disease and greater SK-SD skin test reactivity tended to survive longer than those with impaired reactivity. Similarly, reactivity to trichophyton was associated with improved survival among patients with metastases. A multivariate analysis of the patients shows improved remission duration with mumps positivity in Stage III and Stage IVA patients. It appears that certain skin tets analyzed in this fashion have prognostic importance in these patients and should be analyzed with other variables of disease status.