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A Review of the Bleomycin Experience in the United States

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Antitumor Antibiotics

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Abstract

Since the original identification of bleomycin (BLM) as a promising anticancer agent by the Japanese investigators and its subsequent introduction into the United States, active world wide efforts have been made to evaluate this drug clinically. In the United States, these efforts were initially unfocused, with many institutions of oncology and cooperative groups pursuing broad Phase II trials looking for promising single agent activity. After this preliminary exploration of dosage, schedule, and method of administration, the antitumor activity of BLM was confirmed for squamous tumors of the head and neck, squamous tumors of the cervix, for testicular tumors, and for lymphoproliferative disorders [5]. Coincident with these investigations, it became clear that BLM had not only unique antitumor potential but also unique toxic properties. Unlike most other antineoplastics, BLM demonstrated little myelotoxicity. Its acute toxicities proved to be dermatitis and allergy, and its major dose-limiting chronic toxicity, pulmonary fibrosis.

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  1. M. A. Friedman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Northern California Cancer Program, 1801 Page Mill Road, Bldg. B, Suite 200, Palo Alto, California, 94304, USA

    S. K. Carter (Director) (Director)

  2. Department of Antibiotics, National Institutes of Health, Kami-Osaki 2-10-35, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 1411, Japan

    Hamao Umezawa (Head) (Head)

  3. Division of Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute, Blair Bldg. Room 4A15, 8300 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910, USA

    John Douros

  4. Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Kami-Ikebukuro 1-37-1, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Yoshio Sakurai (Director) (Director)

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© 1978 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

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Friedman, M.A. (1978). A Review of the Bleomycin Experience in the United States. In: Carter, S.K., Umezawa, H., Douros, J., Sakurai, Y. (eds) Antitumor Antibiotics. Recent Results in Cancer Research / Fortschritte der Krebsforschung / Progrès dans les recherches sur le cancer, vol 63. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-81219-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-81219-4_15

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-81221-7

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