Current status of PEP bleomycin studies in Japan.

1. The therapeutic effects of pepleomycin seem superior to those achieved with bleomycin against squamous cell carcinoma and malignant lymphoma. 2. In basal cell epithelioma, carcinoma in situ (e.g., actinic keratosis, Bowen's disease), adenocarcinoma (e.g., mammary and genital Paget's disease), and adult soft tissue sarcoma, pepleomycin as well as bleomycin was clinically ineffective. 3. Of the two cases of stage IV malignant melanoma, pepleomycin combined with MeCCNU and VCR exerted a moderate effect against multiple disseminated skin metastases in one, and a slight effect against a VI rib metastasis in the other. 4. The sorts of side effects of pepleomycin were almost the same as those of bleomycin. Lung toxicities were less frequent under pepleomycin treatment than those under bleomycin treatment.