[A cancer of unknown primary site with diffuse metastasis to the bone marrow treated effectively with FAM combination...

A patient with cancer of unknown primary site suffering from diffuse bone marrow metastasis and DIC, was treated with FAM (5-fluorouracil, adriamycin and mitomycin C) combination chemotherapy. She was a 58-year-old housewife. Bone marrow biopsy revealed that her marrow tissue was completely replaced by cancer cells, and bone scintigraphy showed diffuse bone marrow metastasis in all the vertebrae, sternum, pelvic bones and skull. After 5 months administration of 3 courses of FAM therapy, the cancer cells were completely eradicated in the bone marrow upon biopsy taken at almost the same position as the previous one. The values of CEA, CA 19-9 and CA 125 were normalized, suggesting that this therapy was very effective.