LDH levels, MASS criteria predict melanoma survival

An index that combines serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels with morphology, attenuation, size and structure (MASS) criteria response helps to predict survival in patients with metastatic melanoma who take bevacizumab.

In a prospective phase 2 trial, investigators with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, performed a secondary analysis of CT and clinical data from 46 patients with metastatic melanoma who were taking bevacizumab to identify parameters that predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Median PFS and OS for the entire cohort were four months and 14 months, respectively. MASS criteria response on the first post-therapy CT strongly predicted PFS (P<0.001) and OS (P<0.001). A high baseline LDH was correlated with significantly decreased PFS and OS.

An index combining baseline LDH and MASS criteria response on first post-therapy CT resulted in a high degree of accuracy in predicting PFS of more than nine months (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.97) and OS of more than two years (AUC = 0.87).

The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society in Washington.