Monocentric Pilot Study Investigating the Metabolic Activity of Melanoma in Vivo During Sorafenib and Dacarbazine

A total of 12 patients with skin- or superficial lymph node metastases with a diameter of at least 1 cm will be chosen for sorafenib therapy over 56 days per os twice daily with each 400 mg and, additionally, on day 14 and 42, intravenous dacarbazine infusion (volume depending on the body surface area (1000 mg/m2)). On screening day, the medical history as well as the physical examination with determining the vital signs and the analyzing the coagulation status in the venous blood are conducted. In women, a pregnancy test will be conducted. On screening day, as well as on day 10, 16, 35 and 60, venous blood is taken for examination of hematology (hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell (RBC) count, platelets, white blood cell (WBC) count with differential (total neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils), biochemistry (sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine, phosphate, glucose, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gGT, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, albumin, total lipid status with LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride), S-100, LDH, and for asservation of 40 ml EDTA and 10 ml Serum. At every consultation (screening day, day 1, 10, 14, 16, 35, 42, 60), concomitant medication will be recorded, and vital signs will be determined. At every consultation except of screening day and day 1, adverse events will be reported. FDG-PET/CT is conducted on screening day, day 10, 16 and 60; afterward, one cutaneous metastasis which was included in previous PET/CT scan, is biopsied for investigating its gene processing profile (day 60 is optional).