[The efficacy of polychemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil in inoperable forms of squamous cell cancer of the head and neck area].

The results of treatment of 19 cases of inoperable squamous cell tumors of the head and neck are discussed. The treatment schedule used three drugs: 100 mg/m2 cisplatin at day 1, 25 mg/m2 methotrexate, intravenously, at day 4, and a total of 1000 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil, at days 4-8 of treatment, by continuous 120 hour-long infusion. Effect was observed in 15 patients. The treatment was effective in 47.4% (complete regression--in 1 case, morphologically confirmed and partial regression--in 8 cases), stabilization--in 26.3 (5 patients) and further progression--in 26.3% (5 patients). Among the untoward side-effects were nausea, vomiting, anorexia, stomatitis and diarrhea. The toxicity proved tolerable.