[Preliminary results of a chemotherapy study of patients with squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region. Comparison of 2 therapeutic regimens: cis-diamminodichloroplatinum (II) and bleomycin compared to methotrexate and vindesine].

The preliminary results of a controlled study for treatment of 33 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region with regimen A: cis-DDP (3 mg/M2 dl) plus Bleomycin (15 mg/m2 i.v. continuously d2-6) against regimen B: Methotrexate (30 mg/m2 i.v. dl + 6) and vindesine (3 mg/m2 i.v. dl + 7) were as follows: complete remission (cr): 1 X A, 0 X B; partial remission (pr): 6 X A, 4 X B; minor response (mr): 3 X A, 7 X B; no change (nc): 2 X A, 0 X B; progression (pg): 5 X A, 5 X B. Due to progressive disease 8 patients were further treated with the alternative regimen with following results: cr: 1 X A; mr: 1 X A, 2 X B; nc: 1 X B; pg: 3 X A. Considering prognostic factors it could be demonstrated that primary chemotherapy (pc) was more effective that applied after operation and/or radiotherapy (secondary chemotherapy = sc): cr + pr: (= 53%), 4 X sc (= 22%); nc + pg: 1 X pc (= 7%), 7 X sc (= 39%).