[Comparative study of 2 chemotherapy induction protocols. Cisplatinum-methotrexate-bleomycin and...

A prospective randomized study was conducted in 77 patients with stages III and IV epidermoid carcinomas of the buccal cavity, oropharynx, and pharyngolaryngeal regions to compare effects of two induction chemotherapy regimens: cisplatinum, methotrexate, bleomycin, and oncovin, methotrexate, bleomycin. Tumoral response and complications were analyzed as a function of the regimen, the tumoral site, and the stage. Chemotherapy including cisplatinum provided a tumoral response in 58.8 p.cent of stage III pharyngolaryngeal epitheliomas as against 38.4 p.cent with oncovin, methotrexate, bleomycin, but with a higher frequency of complications.