Treatment of advanced lymphomas with bleomycin (NSC-125066)

88 patients with far-advanced lymphomatous malignancy were treated with Bleomycin given by either intramuscular (i. m.) or intravenous (i. v.) injection according to a randomized treatment assignment. Response occurred most frequently in Hodgkin's disease (i. m. 7/24; i. v. 4/18), least often in histiocytic lymphomas (i. m. 0/8; i. v. 1/8), and with intermediate frequency in lymphocytic lymphomas (i. m. 3/16; i. v. 0/14). While toxicity was common (70%), severe toxicity was unusual (8%) with severe pulmonary toxicity occurring in four patients (three i.m.; one i.v.). All three drug associated deaths occurred in i. m. patients. Unexpected life-threatening pericarditis occurred in two i. m. treated patients. Although response and drug related deaths occurred more often in the i. m. patients, the comparison with i. v. patients was not statistically different.