Chemotherapy of advanced prostatic cancer with peplomycin.

Peplomycin, a new anticancer agent, was produced as a side-chain derivative of bleomycin to reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications. Intramuscular injections of 5-10 mg of peplomycin were given 3 times a week to 35 patients with stages C and D disease. Patients were evaluated at the end of 12 weeks using the National Prostatic Cancer Project criteria. A response rate of 26% was achieved when peplomycin was used as the primary treatment. Prostatic cancer patients resistant to standard endocrine therapy had a 17% response rate to peplomycin therapy. Bone metastases were not influenced by this agent. The main side effects of peplomycin are fever and respiratory disturbances, but the incidence of these conditions is lower than that experience with bleomycin.