Multidrug chemotherapy (vincristine, bleomycin, and methotrexate [VBM]) with radiotherapy in stage III-IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

: Thirty-three patients with stage III-IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck previously untreated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy were given a multidrug cytotoxic regimen, VBM (vincristine, bleomycin, and methotrexate), in combination with radical radiotherapy. Of the 32 evaluable patients, 11 (34.4%) achieved clinical complete response with negative biopsy, 15 (46.8%) achieved partial response, three (9.4%) had no change, and three (9.4%) had disease progression. At 30 months, the actuarial survival rate for complete responders with negative biopsy was 62.2% and the overall survival rate was 30.8%. Hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity was moderate, but one patient developed life-threatening mucositis and one patient died due to acute renal failure. Our data do not confirm prior more favorable results obtained with the same treatment.