[Comparison of radiotherapy alone and the combination of bleomycin and radiation in carcinoma of the lower gum].

A clinical study comparing the use of radiation to the combination of bleomycin and radiation was carried out in 61 patients with carcinoma of the lower gum. For the 28 patients treated by radiation, the dose was 30-74 Gy, and, for the 33 treated by combination therapy, the dose of bleomycin was 45-120 mg and that of radiation was 20-52 Gy. The 5-year survival rate of the radiation-alone group was 0/12 (0%), and that of patients undergoing surgery after radiation was 7/16 (44%), whereas that of the combined bleomycin and radiation alone was 7/15 (47%) and that of surgery after combined treatment was 14/18 (78%).