Cisplatin and bleomycin in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. A final report.

During the period from September, 1976 to June, 1979, 70 patients with locoregional or extensive epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus were treated with the two-drug combination of cisplatin and bleomycin (DB). For the 43 patients with locoregional disease (LRD), DB was used prior to surgery and/or radiation therapy; it was the primary treatment for 27 patients with extensive disease (ED). The major objective response rates [complete remission (CR) and partial remission (PR)] to DB for the LRD and ED groups were 14% and 17%, respectively, for an overall response rate of 15%. For the LRD group, the minimum follow-up was 42 months; four patients (10%) remain alive and free of disease. The median survival of 34 patients treated with DB preoperatively was 10 months, which did not differ significantly from that of a historic control group receiving preoperative radiation therapy. The median duration of response for ED patients was 6 months, and the median survival for the entire ED group was 4 months. DB alone had only modest activity in epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus.