Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most rapidly increasing cancers in the US and around the world with an increase in incidence of about 3-7% per year for fair-skinned Caucasian populations. An estimated 62,480 cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US in 2008 with an estimated 8,420 deaths. An additional 46,170 cases of melanoma in situ are predicted.~Melanoma that has spread to distant sites (stage IV) is rarely curable.~This Phase 2 study is designed to characterize the efficacy and safety of REOLYSIN given intravenously in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin every 3 weeks in patients with metastatic melanoma.~Response is a primary endpoint of this trial.~Patients may continue to receive chemotherapy in combination with REOLYSIN for up to 8 cycles and may continue indefinitely on REOLYSIN monotherapy under this protocol, provided they have not experienced either progressive disease or unacceptable drug-related toxicity that does not respond to either supportive care or dose reduction.
The purpose of this Phase 2 study is to investigate whether intravenous administration of REOLYSIN therapeutic virus in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin is effective and safe in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.