Bronchial artery infusion of mitomycin-C in advanced bronchogenic carcinoma

Bronchial angiography was performed in 17 patients with advanced non-oat cell bronchogenic carcinoma. The patients were treated 1 to 5 times with infusions of 10 mg of mitomycin-C (MMC) into the tumor-feeding bronchial artery. All but 2 patients received in addition small doses of vincristine (intravenously) and bleomycin (intramuscularly) or only bleomycin to potentiate the effect of MMC. No major side effects occurred and the systemic toxicity was insignificant. An objective tumor reponse was encountered in 11/17 patients. Intraarterial chemotherapy is strictly local and therefore effective especially in patients with limited or locally advanced disease. In patients with more extensive disease an adjunctive therapy of a more regional or systemic modality must be given.