Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, bleomycin, and methotrexate in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.
Twenty-six patients with advanced head and neck cancer, 22 of whom had failed prior surgery and/or radiotherapy, were treated with a combination regimen of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II, bleomycin, and methotrexate. There were no complete responses. Nine patients achieved a partial response (35%). Three of the four (75%) patients without prior therapy achieved a partial response while only 6 of the 22 patients (27%) with prior surgery and/or radiation therapy obtained a partial response. The median response duration was 3 months. Patients with a partial response did not live significantly longer than those who did not live significantly longer than those who did not respond. Toxic reactions were frequent: there were three episodes of sepsis secondary to leukopenia and two cases of bleomycin pulmonary toxicity. Mucositis was noted in 40% and nausea and vomiting in 60% of patients. We conclude that this triple-drug regimen has little value in the treatment of patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who have failed prior surgery and radiotherapy.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001761:Bleomycin; D002945:Cisplatin; D008727:Methotrexate