title: Chemotherapy for head and neck cancer relapsing after radiotherapy.
abstract: Thirty-nine patients (28 men and 11 women, ages 43 to 83 years) with advanced head and neck epidermoid carcinoma (33 had relapsed from previous radiotherapy) were treated with a three-day bleomycin administration (30 by continuous intravenous infusion and nine by subcutaneous route) followed on the fifth day by intravenous administration of cyclophosphamide + methotrexate + 5-fluorouracil (Bleo-CMF). This drug schedule was based on the cell cycle synchrony principle. Twenty-one of 39 patients (54%) responded (seven complete, 14 partial remission) lasting from 4 to 20 months. The median duration of survival for complete remission, partial remission, and disease progression was 15, ten, and four months, respectively. The Bleo-CMF was well tolerated with minimal toxicity. The effectiveness of this regimen in previously irradiated patients compels us to pursue its application in a randomized study as an adjuvant for Stages III and IV head and neck cancer following maximum eradication of the local disease by surgery and/or radiotherapy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001761:Bleomycin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate