Clinical aspects of adriamycin in Japan.

Adriamycin has not been as extensively evaluated in Japan as in some other countries. This is due both to the widespread use of mitomycin C and importantly to the alopecia caused by adriamycin being particularly disturbing to Japanese patients. Japanese studies have shown the drug to be highly active in tumors such as stomach cancer (31/92), lung cancer (27/84), and malignant lymphomas (15/46). Combination studies have been mainly with 5-FU although others have also been investigated. Other approaches which have been studied include intraarterial infusion, local application in bladder cancer, intrapleural application and in the treatment of childhood malignancies.