Superior clinical response and survival rates with initial bolus of cisplatin and 120 hour infusion of 5-fluorouracil before definitive therapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer.
One hundred ninety-one patients were treated by one of three cisplatin-containing multidrug protocols. The initial 77 patients received two courses of cisplatin and vincristine plus bleomycin. The next 26 patients received two courses of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin, and the final 88 patients were placed on a three course 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin protocol. Overall response rates were similar for each of the three protocols. The complete response rate, however, was much better (54 percent) for three course 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin versus cisplatin vincristine, and bleomycin (29 percent) and two course 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (19 percent). Survival curves were also better for the three course 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin segment of this nonrandomized pilot study.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001761:Bleomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil