Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) administered by 24-hour infusion in the treatment of patients with advanced upper aerodigestive cancer.

A regression rate of 12% (4/33) among patients with advanced upper aerodigestive carcinomas who received an intravenous regimen of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, 90 mg/m2/24 hours each three weeks was achieved. The response rate was 13% (3/23) among patients with typical squamous cell carcinoma. Most individuals had received extensive prior surgery and/or radiation therapy. Nineteen patients had ECOG performance score 0, 1. A median time to progression and survival of 1.6 months and 6.7 months, respectively, were associated with moderate to severe nausea and vomiting in virtually all patients. These results differ from previous reports of single agent platinum regimens which have achieved regression rates of approximately 40% among apparently comparable patients. Subtle clinically inapparent differences between study populations and the influence of yet unrecognized covariates may have impacted on the response discrepancy. Innovative studies of the high-dose, infusion platinum therapy may clarify the efficacy of the program in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.