title: Bleomycin as adjuvant in radiation therapy of advanced squamous cell carcinoma in head and neck.
abstract: Since 1969, Bleomycin (BLM) has been used in three different ways at the Radium Centre in Copenhagen. First BLM given as the sole treatment led to complete regressions in 12% of 138 patients (12). Secondly BLM was used as simultaneous adjuvant in radiation therapy for 86 previously untreated patients, but 66% developed mucositis which disrupted the treatment. In a third period BLM was therefore combined sequentially with radiation, administered for 2 weeks prior to radiation therapy to 142 patients. The tumour shrinkage achieved with preirradiation BLM was very pronounced in 38% of cases. 104 patients with T3 tumours have been observed for a minimum of 3 years. The medium survival time, 47 months for those sequentially treated patients responding pronouncedly to BLM, was greater than for the remainder of the sequentially treated patients, 16 months (2 p = 0.010) and for the patients treated simultaneously with BLM, 15 months (2 p = 0.013). The prognostic value of the degree of shrinkage achieved with preirradiation BLM treatment is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin