Bleomycin in the reticuloses.

Bleomycin alone was used in the treatment of 54 patients with Hodgkin's disease in its later stages, 17 with generalized lymphosarcoma, 22 with reticulum cell sarcoma, and 7 with mycosis fungoides. The patients had had radiotherapy and full courses of conventional chemotherapy. Bleomycin was given in doses of 30 mg weekly to an average total dosage of 200 mg, though up to 800 mg could be given because of its marrow-sparing properties. Sixteen (29%) of the patients with Hodgkin's disease remitted, most of them achieving only a partial remission, and similar results were obtained in the other three reticuloses. Bleomycin would seem to have some beneficial action in the late stages of Hodgkin's disease, though it is less effective than some drug regimens recently introduced. Nevertheless it may be useful when there is diminished bone marrow reserve. It would be a suitable drug to use in combination therapy of these four reticuloses.