title: Cisplatin, cytosine arabinoside, and pentoxifylline in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: Nine patients were entered on a Phase I-II study of cisplatin, cytosine arabinoside, and pentoxifylline in the treatment of advanced head and neck cancer. The treatment regimen consisted of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 only, cytosine arabinoside 2,000 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 2, and pentoxifylline 400 mg orally three times daily beginning 7 to 14 days before the chemotherapy. The pentoxifylline was continued between chemotherapy cycles. Chemotherapy courses were repeated at 3- to 4-week intervals. Partial remission were seen in two patients, two patients were stable, and five patients failed on treatment. Dose-limiting toxicity was granulocytopenia. Pentoxifylline itself caused some nausea and anorexia. Although the patient numbers were small, there was no indication that pentoxifylline increased the efficacy of this chemotherapy in head and neck cancer. It is possible that another dose schedule might have been more effective.
authors.affiliation: Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, Canada.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cripps
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fingert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamothe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laframboise
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerin-Lajoie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D002945:Cisplatin; D010431:Pentoxifylline