Treatment of Advanced Malignant Lymphomas With Bleomycin

Bleomycin, a new antitumor agent reported to lack myelotoxicity, was administered to 43 patients with disseminated refractory lymphomas. Either a weekly or daily regimen was used and in order to minimize the possibility of pulmonary toxicity, the total cumulative dose limited to 5 mg/kg. In 37 evaluable patients objective > 50% responses were observed in 18 (49%). Three patients are still in unmaintained complete remission after 6-9 mo and a fourth relapsed after 13 mo. Myelotoxicity was conspicuously uncommon and serious pulmonary toxicity occurred in only one patient. Bleomycin has significant activity in the malignant lymphomas and its unique toxic properties make it ideally suited for combined use with other standard agents or singly in previously treated patients, particularly those with marrow depression.