[Treatment of prostatic cancer by intramuscular administration and intratumor injection of peplomycin].

Peplomycin, a new derivative of Bleomycin, was evaluated clinically for treatment of prostate cancer patients. Peplomycin was injected intramuscularly, 5 or 10 mg every other day, to 8 patients with prostate cancer. Total dose ranged from 30 to 200 mg. According to Karnofsky's criteria, only one case was I-B, other cases were in group 0. Pulmonary fibrosis, one of the major side effects of this drug, was experienced in 2 cases. This anticancer agent was injected directly into the prostate, 20 mg once a week for 5 weeks, to 2 patients who were refractory to estrogen treatment and had lower urinary obstruction for relief of local symptoms. One case was I-A, and the other was I-B. No severe side effect was observed. Serum concentration of Peplomycin after administration was measured by a bioassay. Serum levels of Peplomycin after a local injection of 20 mg and after one intravenous shot of 10 mg were almost equal.