BACKGROUND The aim of this work was to study the effectiveness and safety of a combined therapy with dacarbazine, vindesine and alpha-interferon in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. METHODS Thirty-one patients (20 with visceral metastases and 11 with regional skin and lymph nodes metastases) were treated with dacarbazine (400 mg/m2 i.v. every 28 days), vindesine (3 mg/m2 i.v. every 14 days) and recombinant interferon alpha 2b (Introna) 10 x 10(6) UI subcutaneously three times weekly. RESULTS All patients at least received 3 cures of chemotherapy. The response rate was 22.6 p. 100 with an average of 3.6 months and an average deviation of 7.2 months. The responders were predominantly patients with lymph nodes (50 p. 100) and lung metastases (25 p. 100). Response was better in patients with no more than two metastatic sites. The treatment was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS This combined chemotherapy with 3 drugs not significantly increase either the response rate or its duration. However, the quality of life was good.