[Radiochemotherapy of head and neck cancers: dose reduction through the combination of cisplatin, bleomycin and tegafur].

Twenty-four cases of squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx and maxillary sinus were irradiated with or without cisplatin during a period from April 1973 through March 1984. Both bleomycin in oil and tegafur were administered irrespective of cisplatin. Therapeutic effectiveness was critically evaluated by means of serial biopsy and/or surgery. Radiotherapy alone could not bring about negative conversion of the biopsies, but ultimate negative conversion was observed in 18 out of the 24 cases when chemotherapeutics were appropriately combined. The five positives underwent surgery. In the cases of maxillary cancer, mixed infections appeared to interfere with the curative effectiveness of the radiochemotherapy. A resulting dosage reduction of 15Gy was observed in radiotherapy for negative conversion and one of 10mg for bleomycin as a result of incorporation of cisplatin.