Bleomycin Infusions Combined with Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Inoperable Esophageal Cancer

Abstract

A combination of bleomycin, in a 12 h infusion, and radiotherapy was applied in 25 patients with untreated inoperable esophageal cancer. Bleomycin was administered 15 mg/m² twice weekly, concurrently with irradiation (total dose 3600–4000 rad). Such combined treatment produced 3 complete remissions of the esophageal tumor, 10 partial remissions (response rate 52 % - 13/25), 3 stable disease cases, while in 9 cases the disease progressed in spite of therapy. The median duration of remissions was 8.7 months in complete responders, 6.0 months in partial responders, and 3.0 months in stable disease cases. Similarly, median survival was the longest in complete remission cases (10.3 months). Patients who did not respond to therapy had a median survival of only 2.8 months. Adverse treatment reactions were of a milder character, except retrosternal pain and burning caused by irradiation mucositis, which occurred in 80 % of patients. The trial showed that the combination of bleomycin applied in the form of 12 h infusion and irradiation can produce remissions in 50 % of inoperable esophageal cancer cases, i.e., a rate of remission which is similar to that achieved by irradiation and bleomycin applied in the form of rapid (push) i.v. injections.