Hydroxyurea fails to improve the results of MBD chemotherapy in cancer of the head and neck, but reduces toxicity

Thirty-six patients with advanced squamous cancer of the head and neck received chemotherapy with hydroxyurea, 2 g/m2 orally two of three weeks, plus methotrexate, bleomycin, and cisplatin (MBD) on a previously established schedule. Nineteen patients had objective responses, including six complete remissions. Eight of 13 patients with regional disease without prior radiation responded, as did 1 of 3 with distant metastases without prior radiation, and 10 of 20 with recurrent disease after radiotherapy. The median duration of response in those with recurrent or metastatic tumor was 6 months, and median survival was 6.5 months. These results are no better than those previously achieved without the addition of hydroxyurea. Toxicity, however, was milder than had previously been observed with MBD, suggesting that higher doses or more intensive schedules of hydroxyurea could be safely administered together with the other three drugs.