Acute vascular episodes associated with therapy for carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract with bleomycin, vincristine, and cisplatin.

Twenty-nine patients were treated for carcinoma of the head and neck with a combination of cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin. Four of these patients had acute vascular episodes (three had cerebrovascular accidents and one developed Raynaud's phenomenon) during or after treatment. Two additional patients with a similar history and course are also included for analysis. Three of these six patients had known underlying cardiovascular disease, which may have been a contributing risk factor. A reinstitution of bleomycin infusion produced a recurrence of the Raynaud's phenomenon in the patient who had developed that toxic effect.