[Bleomycin-adriamycin combination chemotherapy in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung]

A combination chemotherapy of bleomycin and adriamycin had been carried out in 12 male patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, ranging from 47 to 80 years of age, and were inoperable because of the advanced disease. The method of drugs administration was as follows: Bleomycin was given at a dose of 15 mg by i.v. infusion twice weekly for the first two weeks, and once weekly thereafter until the cumulative dose reached 200 to 300 mg, provided severe toxicity such as pulmonary fibrosis was clinically or roentogenologically proved. Adriamycin was given at a dose of 20mg also by i.v. push twice weekly for the first two weeks, and the same procedure was repeated after a rest period of two to three weeks, until the dose reached nearly approximately a total dose of 200mg if no evidence of cardiotoxicity was observed and bone marrow suppression was negligible. Five cases out of twelve responded well to our bleomycin-adriamycin combination chemotherapy, demonstrating regression of the tumors in 50% or more, although two cases out of these five the responders were treated with radiation additionally. The median survival time of these responders was prolonged as long as 43 weeks, which was considered undoubtedly as favorable outcome, comparing with other clinical reports by others, even though the number of the cases in our clinical trial was rather small.