A trial of outpatient chemotherapy for recurrent head and neck tumors

A four-drug combination chemotherapy (bleomycin-methotrexate-vinblastine-CCNU) had been used in 38 evaluable patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region on an outpatient basis. A large number of these patients had carcinoma of the oral cavity (45% of total). Nineteen patients (50%) responded to this regimen with a greater than or equal to 50% regression of their measured tumors. The median survival of all patients was 34 weeks. There was one chemotherapy-related death and the overall toxicity was mild. This convenient regimen can be considered a useful alternative to more aggressive therapy.