Evaluation of combination chemotherapy with S-1 and docetaxel for patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and adverse events of combination chemotherapy with S-1 and docetaxel (DOC) as neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas. Fifteen patients were enrolled in this study (11 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 65.9 years). All patients given S-1 80 mg/body per day for 14 days and following were administered a dose of DOC 60 mg/m(2) by drip infusion for 120 minutes. The locoregional response was evaluated 3 weeks after the administration. As a result, the locoregional response rate was 60.0%, including 46.7% complete response. According to Oboshi and Shimosato's classification, histological evaluation of surgical specimens revealed that 3 cases were Grade I , 3 cases Grade IIa, 4 cases Grade IIb, 1 case Grade III, 3 cases Grade IVb, and 1 case Grade IVc. The severe side effect was neutropenia. The present study suggests that combination chemotherapy with S-1 and DOC is an effective and safe regimen in NAC for oral squamous cell carcinomas.     

长春新碱+依托泊苷+卡铂静脉化疗方案在视网膜母细胞瘤中的应用分析

目的探讨长春新碱+依托泊苷+卡铂(VEC方案)在视网膜母细胞瘤(RB)中的临床效果和安全性。方法依据治疗方式将80例RB患儿(每例患儿只取1只眼)分为眼动脉灌注化疗(IAC)组(n=43)和IAC+VEC组(n=37),IAC组患儿IAC治疗术前未进行化疗,IAC+VEC组患儿IAC术前进行6周的VEC治疗。治疗前后,比较两组患儿肿块最大径和肿块厚度,记录治疗期间并发症和药物不良反应;采用酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)检测两组患儿survivin、血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)、基质金属蛋白酶9(MMP9)水平。结果治疗前,两组患儿的肿块厚度、肿块最大径、VEGE、survivin、MMP9水平比比较,差异均无统计学意义(P﹥0.05)。治疗后,两组患儿肿块厚度和肿块最大径均小于本组治疗前,且VEC+IAC组患儿肿块厚度和肿块最大径均小于IAC组患儿,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.05);治疗后,两组患儿血清VEGE、survivin、MMP9水平均低于本组治疗前,且VEC+IAC组患儿血清VEGE、survivin、MMP9水平均低于IAC组患儿,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.05)。IAC组患儿眼球内陷和白内障发生率均高于VEC+IAC组患儿,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.05)。IAC组患儿不良反应总发生率为32.56%,与VEC+IAC组患儿的51.35%比较,差异无统计学意义(P﹥0.05)。结论VEC静脉化疗+IAC治疗RB患儿,能更有效地缩小肿块体积,抑制survivin、VEGF、MMP9表达,降低眼球内陷和白内障的发生率,且不增加化疗不良反应。     

Combination chemotherapy using docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 for far advanced gastric cancer

Combination of docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 (DCS) is expected as a new treatment regimen for far advanced gastric cancer. We performed DCS chemotherapy for six patients, including four cases with invasion to pancreas, three cases with para-aortic lymph node metastasis, and two cases with liver metastasis. Clinical stages were either IIIC or IV for all of the patients. The patients received 2-4 courses of docetaxel (40 mg/m2) and cisplatin (60 mg/m2) on day 1, and S-1 (80 mg/m2) on days 1-14 every 4 weeks. The response rate was 83% (5 PR and 1 SD), and the disease control rate was 100%. Grade 3/4 neutropenia, grade 3 febrile neutropenia, and grade 3 diarrhea were observed in three cases (50%), one case (17%), and one case (17%), respectively. Four of six patients underwent R0 surgery after DCS chemotherapy, and no severe complication was occurred. Histological responses were Grade 2 for two cases, Grade 1b for one case, and Grade 1a for one case, respectively. DCS regimen showed a high objective tumor response, and also is one of the promising regimens as neoadjuvant setting for far advanced gastric cancer.     

Concordance in pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy between invasive and noninvasive components of primary breast carcinomas

BACKGROUND: Invasive breast carcinomas are composed of invasive and noninvasive components in varying proportions and sometimes the two components show different histopathological responses to chemotherapy, however there has been no study as yet comparing the pathological response to chemotherapy of invasive and noninvasive components. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of 100 women neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and docetaxel every three weeks before surgery. After the chemotherapy, surgically resected specimens were studied histologically according to the criteria of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society. RESULTS: Five cases (5/100; 5%) were determined to show Grade 3 pathological response, and 28 cases (28/100; 28%) showed Grade 2 response. There were 6 Grade 3 (6/96; 6%) and 18 Grade 2 (18/96; 19%) invasive component cases. There were 7 Grade 3 (7/82; 9%) and 18 Grade 2 (18/82; 22%) cases showing pathological response in the noninvasive component. With regard to pathological response, there was a strong correlation between the invasive and noninvasive components (p<0.001). There was also a correlation in pathological response between the invasive component and axillary lymph nodes in individual cases (p=0.02). There was no correlation between the response of the noninvasive component and axillary lymph nodes. By multivariate analysis, the overall primary tumor response was reflected by the histological response of the invasive component in the primary breast carcinoma. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the pathological response of the invasive component of breast carcinoma should be evaluated, which might provide more accurate information for prognosis and treatment decisions.     

Evaluation of a combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and nedaplatin for patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combination chemotherapy with docetaxel (TXT) and nedaplatin (CDGP) for patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas. Eight patients were enrolled in this study (4 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 61.7 years). TXT and CDGP were administered at a dose of 60 mg/m(2) and 70 mg/m(2) by drip infusion for 120 minutes, respectively. Three patients received one more administration 4 weeks after the first one. The locoregional response was evaluated 4 weeks after the final administration of TXT and CDGP. As a result, the locoregional response rate after 1 course was 62.5% including 25.0% of complete response (CR). The response rate after 2 courses was 100.0% with 66.7% of CR. According to Oboshi and Shimosato's classification, histological evaluation of surgical specimens revealed that four cases were Grade IIa, two cases Grade IIb, and two cases Grade IV. The severe adverse events were neutropenia and leukopenia, which were effectively managed with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). No other severe side effects were recognized. The present study suggested that the combination chemotherapy with TXT and CDGP would be an effective and safe regimen in neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for oral squamous cell carcinomas.     

局部晚期胃癌术前同步放化疗作用的初步探讨

目的 观察局部晚期胃癌患者术前同步放化疗后的手术切除率、病理缓解率及不良反应发生率,探索最佳的新辅助放化疗方案。方法 2013—2014年间本院初治的潜在可切除或不可切除的局部晚期胃癌患者11例入组,临床分期为cT₄N₀M₀或T_{xN1-3M0(AJCC第7版),病理为腺癌。放疗采用IMRT技术,总剂量40~50 Gy分22~25次4~5周完成。同步化疗采用替吉奥或卡培他滨或紫杉醇联合卡铂的方案。同步放化疗结束后4~8周手术。结果 接受R0手术者9例,R2手术1例,1例因术中发现腹膜种植转移仅行剖腹探查术。术后病理提示重度反应4例,其中包括pCR 1例。共完成放疗10例、化疗8例。3级不良反应主要见于恶心(3例)、呕吐(2例)和食欲下降(2例),无4级不良反应。结论 术前同步放化疗对局部晚期胃癌患者的肿瘤降期率和R0切除率疗效较好,不良反应可耐受。}     

Doxorubicin and paclitaxel in advanced breast carcinoma: importance of prior adjuvant anthracycline therapy

BACKGROUND: The authors undertook a Phase II multicenter trial to assess the efficacy and toxicity of doxorubicin and paclitaxel in combination in the treatment of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma. METHODS: Doxorubicin (50 mg/m2, bolus) followed by paclitaxel (175 mg/m2 over 3 hours) was administered every 21 days (for a maximum of 10 cycles) as first-line chemotherapy in 77 patients, 41 of whom had received prior adjuvant chemotherapy. Monitoring of cardiac function (left ventricular ejection fraction[LVEF]) and total doxorubicin cumulative dose were included in the study protocol. RESULTS: Grade 4 hematologic toxicities were neutropenia (58%) and thrombocytopenia (4%). Neutropenic fever occurred in 9% of patients. Nonhematologic Grade 4 toxicity was limited to mucositis (3%). Grade 3 toxicities were neutropenia (35%), anemia (3%), alopecia (93%), peripheral neuropathy (18%), arthralgia/myalgia (8%), and mucositis (9%). No clinical cardiotoxicity (Grades 3 or 4) occurred. Treatment was discontinued in 5 patients who showed a decrease of LVEF of greater than 15% during therapy. Of 73 patients assessable for response, 15 were complete response, 42 partial response, 15 stable disease, and 1 disease progression; overall response rate being 78% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67-87). Median follow-up was 22 months. Median time to progression (TP) was 10 months (95% CI, 7-12). Time to progression was poorer in cases with adjuvant anthracycline therapy than those without adjuvant chemotherapy (7 vs. 12.3 months; P = 0.022), but TP in patients with adjuvant chemotherapy not containing anthracyclines was not different from the cases without adjuvant chemotherapy (8.6 months). Estimated 2-year survival was 51% (standard error, 7%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that the combination of paclitaxel and doxorubicin is effective in the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma, and that it is well tolerated. No clinical cardiotoxicity was observed on close cardiac monitoring, and prior adjuvant anthracycline treatment compromised its efficacy.     

Thymidylate synthase and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase expression and histological effects of preoperative UFT in gastric cancer patients

During DNA synthesis in tumors, fluoropyrimidine anticancer agents target thymidylate synthase (TS) that catalyze the synthesis of dTMP from dUMP and are metabolized by dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). We administered UFT to patients with gastric cancer preoperatively to prevent cancers from advancing while they await surgery or down staging. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We administered UFT to 24 gastric cancer patients at 360 mg/m(2)/day for longer than 3 weeks as a preoperative chemotherapy. TS and DPD expression in the tumor were measured by immunohistochemistry staining before and after (during surgery) chemotherapy and compared with the results of histological assessment. RESULTS: TS and DPD expression decreased significantly after UFT administration (p<0.05). Histological assessment showed Grade 1 b or 2 in 11 of 24 patients (46%). Eight of 15 patients with high DPD (53.3%) exhibited Grade 1 b or 2. CONCLUSIONS: Histological assessment revealed the efficacy of UFT, through a DPD-inhibitory fluoropyrimidine (DIF) effect, in patients with high DPD. This suggests that preoperative administration of UFT can be a useful clinical measure.     

Evaluation of combination chemotherapy with oral S-1 administration followed by docetaxel by superselective intra-arterial infusion for patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and adverse events of combination chemotherapy with oral S-1 administration following docetaxel (DOC) treatment by superselective intra-arterial infusion as neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Thirteen patients were enrolled in this study (9 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 61. 0 years). All patients were given S-1 65mg/m(2) per day for 14 days, and DOC 40-50mg/m(2) by intraarterial infusion was administered. The locoregional response evaluated 3 weeks after administration was 100%, including a 69. 2% complete response. According to Oboshi and Shimosato's classification, histological evaluation of surgical specimens revealed that 3 cases were Grade II a, 4 cases Grade II b, 1 case Grade IV a, and 4 cases Grade IV c. The severe side effects were neutropenia and cerebral infarction. The present study suggests that combination chemotherapy with S-1 and DOC by superselective intra-arterial infusion would be an effective and safe regimen in NAC for oral squamous cell carcinomas.     

Adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of primary soft tissue sarcomas, with special reference to intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy

Seventy-eight cases of adjuvant chemotherapy for primary soft tissue sarcoma including 51 cases of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy were studied. The patients ranged in age from 1 to 92 years with a median age of 34 years. Thirty-nine patients were male and 39 were female. The seventy-eight cases were comprized of 17 rhabdomyosarcoma, 12 liposarcoma, 12 neurogenic sarcoma, 10 malignant fibrous histiocytoma, 8 leiomyosarcoma, 7 angiosarcoma, 8 others and 4 unclassified sarcomas. Fifty-one patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities were treated by intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy with either VCQ (Vincristine and Carbazilquinone) or VCQ, A (Vincristine, Carbazilquinone and Adriamycin). Out of 42 patients with measurable lesions, 2 CR, 4 PR, 33 NC and 3 PD were obtained. Histological examinations demonstrated histological effect of GI 19, G IIa 11 and G IIb 7 by Ohboshi and Shimosato's criteria. Remarkable effects of treatment were noted in most rhabdomyosarcoma patients. After intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy, a variety of surgical procedures ranging from marginal resection and wide resection to radical amputation were employed in 44 patients. Local recurrence was 27% and distant metastasis developed in 47% of cases.     

Significance of radionuclide examination in hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy using implantable reservoir

Technetium 99m macroaggregated albumin (Tc-MAA) perfusion scintigraphy has been performed during hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy using implantable reservoir. A total of 40 radionuclide (RI) studies were performed on 25 patients with liver metastasis of colorectal origin. Of 40 RI studies, 12 (30%) showed impaired liver perfusion. Three studies showed no perfusion of the liver, 3 increased radiotracer accumulations at liver hilus, 2 extrahepatic distributions, 2 catheter occlusions, 1 extravasation and 1 unilobar distribution. The accumulation of Tc-MAA in the tumor was graded from Grade I (tumor uptake decreased or similar relative to liver) to Grade III (tumor uptake remarkably increased). The response to chemotherapy was evaluable in 14 cases. A case with Grade I resulted in NC. Of 6 cases with Grade II, 1 resulted in MR, 3 in NC and 1 in PD. Of 8 cases with Grade III, 2 resulted in PR, 1 in MR and 5 in NC. Tumor response was observed in cases showing increased uptake of Tc-MAA. SPECT was performed in 7 cases, and revealed that hepatic tumors were hypervascular. We concluded that RI examination reveals not only hepatic perfusion, but also tumor microcirculation.     

老年肿瘤患者化疗后肝损害的临床分析

目的分析老年肿瘤患者化疗后肝损害的特点及易感因素。方法回顾性分析2008年1月～12月在北京协和医院肿瘤内科住院化疗的所有老年患者化疗后肝损害的特点。结果共收治老年患者（≥65岁）134例,占所有患者的31．2％。其中49例在2008年化疗期间出现过肝损害,发生率为36．6％。年龄范围65～84岁,中位年龄70岁。出现肝损害与未出现肝损害的老年患者在性别比和年龄结构比方面无明显差异。出现肝损害的患者中10．2％合并慢性病毒性肝炎。21例（42．9％）伴有肝脏转移,发生率明显高于无肝损害患者的14．1％。肝功能损害出现在不同的化疗周期,大多出现在化疗前2个周期（占37．8％）。肝损害表现为丙氨酸转移酶（ALT）升高41例,天冬氨酸转移酶（AST）升高28例,碱性磷酸酶（ALP）升高27例,白蛋白（ALB）降低10例,总胆红素（TBIL）升高9例。多为1～2度,有4例（占全部老年患者3．0％）出现3度肝功能损害。出现肝功能损害后,其中19例患者未予特殊治疗,30例接受积极的保肝治疗。45例肝功恢复正常,2例肝功恶化,2例肝功无改善。结论肝功能损害与年龄／分期无明显相关,但出现肝脏转移可能是肝损害的易感因素;老年患者化疗后的肝损害一般预后较好,无需减量或延迟化疗。     

Effects of intra-arterial chemotherapy with a new lipophilic anticancer agent, estradiol-chlorambucil (KM2210), dissolved in lipiodol on experimental liver tumor in rats

Anticancer effects and biodistribution of a new lipophilic anticancer agent, estradiol-chlorambucil (KM2210), dissolved in lipiodol (LPD) were investigated as an intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) on Walker 256 carcinosarcoma grown in the liver of 136 Wistar rats. All rats treated with KM2210 (10 mg)-LPD survived for 90 days after administration, whereas none of the rats with LPD alone were alive for more than 19 days. Histological examination revealed that there was no viable tumor cell in the encapsulated necrotic tumor at 21 days after administration. There was no significant liver dysfunction or leukopenia due to KM2210. The biodistribution study using [14C, 3H]KM2210-LPD solution showed that KM2210 accumulated selectively in tumor and that the tumor-to-normal-liver and tumor-to-blood ratios were 10 and 1,000, respectively, at 21 days after administration. These results suggest that KM2210 has potential clinical application in the treatment of human liver cancer.     

A case of advanced gastric cancer with abdominal paraaortic lymph node swelling successfully resected following neoadjuvant chemotherapy of TS-1 and low-dose cisplatin

A 63-year-old man who had suffered from anorexia and body weight loss was admitted to the hospital. Upper GI series and an endoscopic examination revealed type 3 cancer in the posterior wall of the cardia. Abdominal CT scan showed enlargement of No. 16 lymph nodes. Preoperative diagnosis was stage IV gastric cancer (T3 (SE) H0 P0 N3), and we considered a curative operation impossible. Therefore, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with TS-1 and low-dose cisplatin (CDDP) was planned. After 4 weeks of administration, the primary lesion was reduced in size and the No. 16 lymph nodes were shrunken remarkably. Therefore, a total gastrectomy with a splenectomy, a distal pancreatectomy, and D3 lymph node dissection was performed. Histological findings demonstrated the degeneration of cancer cells and fibrosis in the primary tumor and metastatic regional lymph nodes. There were no viable cancer cells in the No. 16 lymph nodes. The histological changes against neoadjuvant chemotherapy were judged to be Grade 1b for the main tumor and Grade 3 for the No. 16 lymph nodes. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with TS-1 and low-dose cisplatin is so effective in a short period that can be adapted to advanced gastric cancer for downstaging.     

CVDLP与CHOP方案治疗Ⅲ/Ⅳ期淋巴母细胞性淋巴瘤诱导缓解期疗效比较

目的：探讨早期强烈诱导缓解方案提高晚期淋巴母细胞性淋巴瘤的完全缓解（complete remission,CR)率。方法：11例Ⅲ/Ⅳ期初治淋巴母细胞性淋巴瘤,诱导缓解期接受CVDLP方案化疗：环磷酰胺1000mg/m^2d1,长春新碱1．5mg/m^2d1、d8、d15、d21,阿霉素40mg/md1、d2、d21,门冬酰胺酶10000U/m^2d15-24,强的松60mg/m^2d1-28,第15天逐步减量。氨甲喋呤加阿糖胞苷鞘内注射每周一次,共4次,28-33每天 评价疗效。同时回顾性比较9例初治Ⅲ/Ⅳ期淋巴母细胞性淋巴瘤,采用标准CHOP方案治疗两疗程后的疗效（第35天）。结果：CVDLP方案组10例初治病人获得完全缓解,1例病人获得部分缓解,完全缓解率达90．9％;10例病人出现Ⅳ级血液毒性,1例病人出血Ⅲ级血液毒性（WHO标准）。CHOP组3例完全缓解,5例部分缓解,1例微效,完全缓解率达33％;3例病人出现Ⅲ级血液毒性,6例病人出现Ⅱ级血液毒性。结论：对于晚期淋巴细胞瘤,诱导缓解采用CVDLP方案获得的早期完全缓解率明显高于CHOP方案,血液毒性也比CHOP大小,但加强支持疗法,此诱导缓解方案安全可行。     

Regional chemotherapy of nonresectable colorectal liver metastases with mitoxantrone, 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid, and mitomycin C may prolong survival.

BACKGROUND: Regional chemotherapy of isolated, nonresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) by hepatic artery infusion (HAI) has the advantages of high response rates and the possibility of downstaging and resection of CRLMs. 5-Fluorodeoxyuridine (5-FUDR) has been the drug studied in most Phase II and III trials. The meta-analysis of the Phase III trials comparing HAI with systemic or supportive therapy confirmed an advantage for response and even survival for HAI. Hepatic artery infusion with 5-FUDR, however, is hepatotoxic, inducing sclerosing cholangitis (SC). The authors have introduced 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with folinic acid for HAI and found equal effectivity but no SC when compared with HAI with 5-FUDR. Now, they report a new combination chemotherapy protocol based on HAI with 5-FU with FA and on in vitro Phase II studies suggesting mitoxantrone and mitomycin C as active drugs for HAI in CRLM. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between February 1993 and August 2000, 63 patients with CRLM were treated with HAI using mitoxantrone, 5-FU with FA, and mitomycin C (MFFM) via port catheters with a protocol planing up to 11 cycles of treatment. Toxicity and response were analyzed according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and survival was analyzed according to Kaplan-Meier. All patients were treated with more than two HAI cycles. RESULTS: The objective response rate (complete remission and partial remission) was 54% and primary intrahepatic progression (progressive disease) occurred in 4.8%, whereas in 41.3% of the patients the intrahepatic disease was evaluated as no change. Median survival times from the first diagnosis of CRLM or start of HAI were 25.7 months and 23.7 months, respectively, and 7 patients lived longer than 40 months. Grade 3 toxicity according to WHO occurred in 34.9%, and Grade 4 occurred in 3.2%. No toxic death or SC occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our new HAI protocol with MFFM seems to be superior to HAI with 5-FUDR, 5-FU with FA, and systemic chemotherapy with 5-FU and FA at acceptable toxicity. Currently, HAI with MFFM is compared with systemic chemotherapy using 5-FU and FA intravenously in a randomized Phase III trial.     

Liver metastases from melanoma: hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy. A retrospective study

The liver is the primary site of metastases in most uveal melanoma patients. We retrospectively investigated intraarterial chemotherapy (IAC) as treatment for patients with hepatic melanoma metastases.Twenty-three patients (18 with uveal melanoma) received fotemustine (14 patients, 61.9%) or carboplatin (9 patients, 31.1%) via hepatic IAC delivery. The catheter was introduced through percutaneous access to the femoral artery with drugs delivered directly to the hepatic artery, and was removed at the end of each treatment cycle. A total of 3 cycles was planned, repeated every 21 days. However, patients with a clinical response could receive more than 3 cycles, provided that the toxic effects were acceptable.IAC was well tolerated and no catheter-related complications or grade 4 toxicities were reported. Considering only uveal melanoma patients, the overall response rate and disease control rate was 16.7% and 38.9%, respectively. Median time to progression was 6.2 months (95% CI 3.7-10.5) and median overall survival was 21 months (95% CI 8-39).IAC is well tolerated and is a valid choice for patients with a poor prognosis since median survival rates are among the longest reported.     

Analysis of patients with advanced gastric cancer undergoing S-1/CDDP combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy

We retrospectively examined patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent S-1/CDDP combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Nine patients who had the factor of curative surgery deemed not feasible for advanced gastric cancer were enrolled. 80 mg/m2 of S-1 was given orally from days 1-14, and 60 mg/m2 of CDDP was administered on day 8. Patients were treated with a three-cycle protocol. When an adverse event greater than Grade 3 showed, we judged that chemotherapy could not be continued and surgery was performed. An anti-tumor effect on the imaging was found in all cases of PR. The histological effect was judged to be Grade 3 and pathological CR in two cases. In the postoperative period, all patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. S-1/CDDP combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a potential regimen for advanced gastric cancer.     

Therapeutic association for nasopharyngeal cancer

The authors studied retrospectively 16 cases of malignant epithelial nasopharyngeal tumors which were treated at the Head and Neck Service of the Heliópolis Hospital, S?o Paulo, Brasil, from December 1977 to December 1983. The treatment was intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) followed by radiotherapy. The chemotherapeutic schedules were: methotrexate and vincristine, methotrexate, bleomycin and vincristine (2 different schedules) and methotrexate, bleomycin, vincristine and cisplatinum. Objective responses to IAC were observed in 18.6% of the cases. Only 3 patients are alive at 26, 37 and 53 months; 2 of them had exhibited response to IAC. The authors analyze the results and suggest randomized trials in order to determine the exact effects of this method of treatment.