Cisplatin, epirubicin and 5-fluorouracil combination chemotherapy for recurrent carcinoma of the salivary gland.

Nine patients (5 males, 4 females; median age, 62 years) with recurrent high-grade malignancies of major (7 cases) and minor (2 cases) salivary gland origin (4 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 2 adenocarcinomas, 2 poorly differentiated carcinomas, 1 mixed malignant tumor) were treated with cisplatin (60 mg/m2), epirubicin (50 mg/m2) and 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2) (CEF) by intravenous injections on the first day of a 21-day regimen. Previous therapy included surgery (1 case), radiotherapy (1 case), and surgery + radiotherapy (7 cases). There was 1 complete response (11.1%), 3 partial responses (33.3%), 2 unchanged lesions (22.2%) and 3 progressions (33.3%). Patients with local recurrence had a better response. Median remission duration was 7.5 months in CR + PR patients. Median overall survival was 8+ months; 14+ months for responders and 4 months for nonresponders. The major toxic effects were nausea/vomiting and alopecia; myelosuppression was less frequent and usually not severe.