Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin, and vincristine (CABO) in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

One hundred and twenty-seven patients have been entered by 13 institutions in an ongoing nonrandomized phase II study of a combination of cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin, and vincristine. The regimen consists of bleomycin 10 mg and vincristine 2 mg on days 1, 8, and 15, cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on day 4 and methotrexate 40 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15. Courses are repeated every 3 weeks. Cisplatin is given with 2-hr hydration program. Fifty-five patients are currently evaluable. Complete remission has been achieved in 8 patients and partial remission in 28, for an overall response rate of 66%. Toxicity has been generally mild to moderate, consisting mainly of gastrointestinal intolerance, neurotoxicity, alopecia, and myelosuppression. These interim results seem very favorable as compared to data obtained with various chemotherapy programs in other cooperative studies.SCOPUS: NotDefined.j