A phase II trial of m-AMSA in head and neck cancer.

Twenty patients with advanced epidermoid carcinoma from primary sites in the head and neck region received adequate trials of therapy with m-AMSA, at starting doses of 90 or 120 mg/m2. Despite the good median performance status of the group (median 80) and the fact that 50% of the patients had received no prior chemotherapy, only one minor response was achieved. AMSA appears to have no useful activity in this dose and schedule in patients with epidermoid head and neck cancer.