Bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and radiotherapy in regionally advanced epidermoid carcinoma of the head and neck.
We have treated 24 patients with squamous carcinoma of the head and neck and advanced regional (N2-3) disease. The regimen consisted of 3 cycles, each of 28 days. Cyclophosphamide (1 gm/m2 I.V.) was given on day 1, bleomycin (15 u I.M.) on days 2, 4, 9 and 11, and ionizing radiation (60Co, 180 rad/fraction) days 1-5, and 8-12. No therapy was given on days 13-28. After three cycles of therapy, 13 patients had a complete response; following further therapy (surgery, interstitial or external beam radiation), 16 patients were free of disease. However, remissions were not durable and 11/16 patients recurred loco-regionally with a median time to recurrence of 5 months; most (7/11 also developed distant metastases. These patients have biologically aggressive disease and may have a worse prognosis than patients who are Stage IV based on a T4 primary lesion only.
D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013997:Time Factors
D001761:Bleomycin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide