title: [Anthracyclines in the treatment of epidermoid cancers: uterine cervix, esophagus, bronchi, head and neck].
abstract: Anthracyclines certainly do not play a leading role in the treatment of squamous-cell carcinomas. Their effectiveness in these malignancies is limited. In carcinomas of the uterine cervix, variable therapeutic (partial or complete) response rates ranging from 0% to 25% have been reported with doxorubicin as single drug therapy. Using combination chemotherapy, maximum response rates of 54% with cis-platinum and 66% with methotrexate have been achieved. In esophageal carcinoma, a low response rate, fairly consistent across studies, approximating 18%, has been recorded with doxorubicin alone. More satisfactory, although still mediocre results have been recorded with combination chemotherapy, e.g. 33% with FAP (doxorubicin, fluoro-uracile, cis-platinum). Only addition of VP 16 to FAP has yielded a good response rate (66%) in one study. In carcinoma of the lung also, doxorubicin alone has yielded low response rates, approximating 18%. Widely variable results have been reported for the numerous combination chemotherapy trials, with therapeutic response rate ranging from 5% to 66% and mean survivals ranging from 3 months for the least satisfactory trials to 18 months for the few more satisfactory series. In carcinomas of the head and neck, therapeutic response rates with doxorubicin alone have been 20 to 25%. With combination chemotherapy, rates exceeding 50%, occasionally by a fairly wide margin, have been achieved. However, the clinical response may be of fairly short duration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
vernacular_title: Les anthracyclines dans le traitement des cancers épidermoïdes: col utérin, oesophage, bronches, tête et cou.