[Antitumor effects and pulmonary toxicity of bleomycin administered by continuous subcutaneous infusion in patients with advanced cervical cancer].
In order to compare the antitumor effect of bleomycin (BLM) administered by continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSI) with that of BLM given by intravenous infusion (IVI), 34 patients with lung cancer metastatic from the cervix were entered into this study after being treated with a combination of bleomycin and mitomycin (B-M). BLM by CSI was injected subcutaneously for 5 to 6 days at a daily dose of 5 mg using a microinfusion pump(SP-5, NIPRO CO. Ltd.) into nine patients while the drug by IVI was given by intravenous drip for 2 to 3 hours to 25 patients. The total dose of BLM and mitomycin (MMC) used, and the age and body weight of patients were almost equally stratified in the two groups of patients. Six among the nine patients receiving SCI responded to this combination for 105 days and their median survival time was 10 months. For the 25 patients receiving IVI, 17 responded for 78 days and survived for 9.5 months. There was no significant difference in tumor response between the two types of BLM administration. On the other hand, pulmonary toxicity was studied in 46 patients with far-advanced cervical cancer including the 25 with lung metastasis receiving IVI and 53 patients including the 9 with lung metastasis receiving SCI. The incidence of pulmonary toxicity in the IVI group was 6.5% (3/46), while there were no patients with pulmonary toxicity in the CSI group. In conclusion, continuous subcutaneous infusion is an excellent way to administer BLM safely without any reduction in the antitumor effect and can be used for the treatment of outpatients.
D000368:Aged; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D008937:Mitomycins; D001761:Bleomycin