Interferon Alpha 2B Treatment and Hair Loss in Malignant Melanoma Patients

Five patients, aged between 41 and 66 years, experienced hair loss diagnosed as telogen effluvium after undergoing treatment with interferon alpha 2B for malignant melanoma. The treatment duration ranged from 10 to 28 weeks, with dosages between 1 and 10 million units administered three times per week. Two of the patients showed improvement in their telogen count even while continuing the treatment, whereas the remaining three patients did not see an improvement until they stopped the interferon alpha 2B therapy. The study, conducted by Tosti et al., found no correlation between the dosage of interferon alpha 2B and the timing or severity of the hair loss.