[Mitoxantrone containing multi-drug chemotherapy in the management of malignancies. Collaborative Group for Clinical Trial of Mitoxantrone].

182 patients with various malignancies treated by mitoxantrone containing multi-drug chemotherapy are reported. Sixteen cancer patients treated with adriamycin or epirubicin combined with other drugs during the same period served as control. Of these 182 patients, there were 171 evaluable patients. Fourty-four had complete remission, 64 partial remission, 38 stable lesions, and 25 progressive lesions with response rate of 63.2%. Fifty-five breast cancer patients treated with mitoxantrone, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil gave a response rate of 52.7%; 82 malignant lymphoma patients who received cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, vincristine and prednisone regimen gave a response rate of 81.7%; 29 patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma as treated by UFT, mitoxantrone, mitomycin C lead to a response rate of 31.0% and 5 patients with other malignancies gave a response rate of 60.0%. Of the control group, there were 15 evaluable patients. 10 of 12 malignant lymphoma patients responded, while no effect was observed in 2 breast cancer and 1 gastric cancer patients. Acute and subacute toxicities in the two groups were observed and the factors influencing the therapeutic effects were analysed.