BLEOMYCIN (NSC-125066) FOLLOWED BY CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE (NSC-26271), VINCRISTINE (NSC-67574), METHOTREXATE (NSC-740), AND 5-FLUOROURACIL (NSC-19893) FOR NON-OAT CELL BRONCHOGENIC CARCINOMA

Abstract

The in vivo observation that bleomycin may be used as a synchronizing agent provided the basis for testing 4 days of continuous bleomycin infusion followed by 5 days of intensive chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil. Thirty-eight patients with extensive non-oat cell bronchogenic carcinoma (adenocarcinoma [17 patients]) were registered for chemotherapy. There were 11 patients with 50% regression of all measurable lesions and 4 with improved but poorly measurable radiographic lesions, providing a crude response rate of 39% (15 of 38 patients). An overall survival median of 19 wk compares favorably with Veterans'' Administration Lung Cancer Study Group control data, but was not substantially better than author''s own historical controls (P = 0.15). The median survival for responders was 36 wk compared to 16 wk for historical controls (P = 0.001) and 12 wk for nonresponders (P < 0.001).