[Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy with UFT and adriamycin in head and neck cancer]

Thirty-one patients with head and neck cancer were administered pretreatment induction chemotherapy (so-called neo-adjuvant chemotherapy) consisting of a UFT and ADM combination. The chemotherapy consisted of ADM (0.5 mg/kg b.w.) once a week up to 3 times, and UFT (600 mg/day) every day for 20 days. Overall response rate was 37.9% (11/31), and 1 CR and 10 PR were obtained. After definitive treatment, the primary control rate was 80.6% (25/31). Sixteen primary lesions in the 31 patients were classified according to Shimosato's grading system into 1 grade IV, 5 grade III and 10 grade II b a-I. Lymph-node metastases in 5 cases were also classified. The grading of lymph-node metastases was lower than that of the primary lesions.