Combined therapy with bleomycin and selective intra-arterial infusion of mitomycin C in lung cancer.

Bronchial artery infusion of mitomycin C might be very effective in treating minor tumors but, as a rule, less effective in the treatment of larger tumors. In order to achieve improved effect of treatment, 21 cases (stage II-III/TNM) were given supplementary chemotherapy with bleomycin or vincristine-bleomycin. Preoperative treatment was given to 11 cases in which indications for surgical treatment were primarily uncertain or absent. The other group consisted of 10 patients with inoperable lesions. Combined treatment has proved to have a strong but mainly local effect. Repeated courses (up to 5 times) were more effective than a single one. The regional effect, i.e: on overgrowth onto the mediastinum, pericardium or thoracic wall was weak. The system effect was negligible. Penetrating data about objective response are given.