title: Systemic chemotherapy of advanced head and neck malignancies.
abstract: Several Phase II chemotherapy protocols were evaluated in patients with advanced malignancies; 158 were evaluable head and neck cases. The protocols were as follows: five-drug combination (COMFP), four-drug (COMF), (CCNU, Adriamycin, DTIC, and cytosine arabinoside. Insufficient numbers and data were received to adequately evaluate Yoshi 864, 5 Azacytidine, porfiromycin, BCNU, and Azaserine. Significant responses to therapy were noted in the four and five-drug combinations in which 30-44% of the patients had 50% or greater regression, with an average duration of 2.2 months. Adriamycin and CCNU demonstrated lesser antitumor effects, while DTIC and cytosine arabinoside did not demonstrate significant antitumor activity in the head and neck areas. Usual toxicity consisted largely of nausea and vomiting, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Alopecia was not pronouced in Adriamycin-treated patients. It appears that combination chemotherapy had a higher response rate compared to single agents used in the different cooperative protocols.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006257:Head; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D014226:Triazenes; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D014226:Triazenes; D003561:Cytarabine; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate