The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of giving adjuvant treatment with intermediate doses of interferon-alpha2b to patients operated for high risk melanoma. Patients are randomly assigned to either observation only or interferon treatment for 2 different durations. The outcome with respect to overall survival, relapse-free survival, side effects and quality of life is analysed.

This is an open multicenter, prospective randomised phase III trial evaluating the efficacy of two different schedules of Interferon-alpha2b (IFN-alpha2b) administered in an adjuvant setting after adequate surgery in high risk cutaneous melanoma patients (T4N0M0/TxN1-2M0). The patients have been operated for either a thick primary melanoma (> 4 mm) without evidence of distant metastasis or have undergone surgery for regional lymph node metastases.

The study consists of a control arm (A) and two treatment arms, B and C. The outcome in arms B and C with adjuvant treatment with IFN-alpha2b will be compared to the outcome of arm A in which the patients will only be observed after the surgery. The primary endpoint is overall survival. Secondary endpoints are relapse-free survival, safety-toxicity and health-related quality of life.

Inclusion Criteria:

• T4 N0 M0 - Thick primary melanoma: > 4.0 mm Breslow depth, without lymph node involvement, or
• Tx N1-2 M0 Primary melanoma of any thickness with regional lymph node metastases confirmed by lymphadenectomy, or
• Tx N1-2 M0 Recurrent melanoma in regional lymph node(s) confirmed by lymphadenectomy.
• ECOG performance status of 0-1
• No active medical or psychiatric disorder requiring therapy that would prevent completion of protocol
• Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with unknown primary site of melanoma or primary melanoma originating apart from the skin, except subungual melanoma
• Patients who have clinical, radiological/laboratory or pathological evidence of incompletely resected melanoma or distant metastatic disease
• Patients who have had prior adjuvant radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy including preoperative infusion or perfusion therapy
• Female patients who are pregnant or lactating