Treatment of advanced and/or metastatic epidermoid carcinoma of the head and neck: an effective combination chemotherapy with bleomycin, methotrexate and ftorafur

• Published in: Journal of chemotherapy (Florence) Vol. 1; no. 5; p. 338
• Main Authors: Adamo, V, Altavilla, G, Alafaci, E, Caristi, N, Chiofalo, G, Costa, G, Scimone, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.10.1989
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Bleomycin - administration & dosage; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - secondary; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms - drug therapy; Humans; Male; Methotrexate - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Tegafur - administration & dosage
• ISSN: 1120-009X; 1973-9478
• DOI: 10.1080/1120009X.1989.11738918

29 evaluable patients with advanced and/or metastatic epidermoid carcinomas of the head and neck were treated with a combination of bleomycin, methotrexate and ftorafur. 3 complete remission, 12 partial remission (objective response 51.7%), 10 stable disease and 4 progressed disease were obtained, with the best responses in the oral cavity and skin carcinomas. The grade of performance status and the pretreatments affected the response, with a very high response rate in nonpretreated patients, where objective results were obtained in all cases. The toxicity was very mild. We believe that this combination can be recommended for epidermoid carcinomas of the skin and oral cavity, considering its high response rate, feasibility and low toxicity.