The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of interferon (IFN) combined with dacarbazine (DTIC) (experimental group) versus DTIC alone (control group) in cutaneous malignant melanoma. After searching all available databases, eligible articles were identified and subjected to quality assessment. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3; combined relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for survival rates, response rates, and adverse events. Eight randomized controlled trials published between 1990 and 2014 involving 795 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with DTIC alone, IFN combined with DTIC significantly increased the overall response rate (RR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.21-2.08, P = 0.0008),the complete response rate (RR = 3.30, 95% CI 1.89-5.76, P < 0.0001), 2-year survival (RR = 1.59, 95% CI 0.99-2.54, P = 0.050) grade ≥3 hematologic toxicity (RR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.32-4.02, P = 0.003), neurotoxicity (RR = 18.15, 95% CI 5.34-61.74, P < 0.00001), and flu-like symptoms (RR = 6.31, 95% CI 1.95-20.39, P = 0.002). The partial response rate, grade ≥3 nausea and vomiting, treatment-related, and 1- and 3-year survival were not significantly different between IFN combined with DTIC and DTIC alone. IFN combined with DTIC may moderately improve the complete response rate, but increases the incidence of adverse events and has no significant effect on 1- and 3-year survival in cutaneous malignant melanoma.