Non-platinum-containing combination chemotherapy for stage III-IV head and neck squamous carcinoma

From May 1980 to November 1981, 51 consecutive patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous carcinoma were treated with 2 successive outpatient chemotherapeutic regimens including adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, bleomycin, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil with or without mitomycin-C. A 34% objective response rate was obtained with acceptable toxicity and good patient compliance. The presence of mitomycin-C did not influence response rate. Median survival was 9 months.