Abstract
Resistance of tumour cells to methylating and monochloroethylating agents in vitro and in vivo has been linked to levels of the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). In a clinical trial of temozolomide in advanced malignant melanoma, the relationship between pretreatment MGMT levels in biopsies of cutaneous tumours and involved lymph nodes and clinical response to the drug has been studied. Among 50 evaluable patients, there were three complete responses (CR), four partial responses (PR), six with stable disease (SD) and 37 with progressive disease (PD), with an overall response rate of 14%. In 33 patients in whom MGMT level and clinical response could be evaluated, the tumour MGMT levels (fmol mg(-1) protein) were: CR, 158 +/- 119; PR, 607 +/- 481; NC, 171 +/- 101; PD, 185 +/- 42.3. Thus, measurements of pretreatment levels of MGMT in melanoma did not predict for response to temozolomide.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Middleton, M., Lunn, J., Morris, C. et al. O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in pretreatment tumour biopsies as a predictor of response to temozolomide in melanoma. Br J Cancer 78, 1199–1202 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1998.654
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1998.654
This article is cited by
-
Correlation between MGMT promoter methylation and response to temozolomide-based therapy in neuroendocrine neoplasms: an observational retrospective multicenter study
Endocrine (2018)
-
The PARP inhibitor ABT-888 potentiates dacarbazine-induced cell death in carcinoids
Cancer Gene Therapy (2016)
-
What Is the Role of Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Melanoma?
Current Treatment Options in Oncology (2014)
-
Immunohistochemical analysis of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in human melanoma in comparison with skin squamous cell carcinoma
Medical Molecular Morphology (2014)
-
MGMT gene promoter methylation correlates with tolerance of temozolomide treatment in melanoma but not with clinical outcome
British Journal of Cancer (2010)