[Treatment of squamous cell carcinomas with prolonged, continuous infusions of bleomycin and cisplatinum. A first series of 80 cases with 75% objective response (author's transl)].

Eighty consecutive patients with measurable and assessable squamous cell carcinoma of the head or neck, lung, oesophagus and uterine cervix received one to four courses of combined bleomycin and cis-platinum treatment. Each course lasted 5 to 6 days during which bleomycin was administered by continuous intravenous infusion and cis-platinum was given daily. If there was no evidence of toxicity or progressive disease, courses were repeated every 3 weeks to a total bleomycin dose of 150 mg/m2. A 75% objective response rate was obtained, with one case of progressive disease and no prohibitive toxic reaction. These results suggest that cytostatic drugs with low bone marrow toxicity can be given for prolonged periods and throw some doubt on the alleged resistance of squamous cell carcinomas to chemotherapy.