In 35 cases of advanced Hodgkin's disease (stage IIIB to IVB), of whom 33 were no longer responsive to the alkylating agents, vinblastine produced clinically useful remissions in 22 patients or 64%. Complete objective responses were unusual but one third of these cases experienced partial remissions of more than 1 year's duration accompanied by marked amelioration of symptoms. Serious toxicity was not encountered. There was no relationship between vinblastine response and prior responses to the alkylating agents. Despite the disadvantage of being secondary therapy, vinblastine appeared superior to the alkylating agents in the quality and length of remissions it produced.
INCE THE DISCOVEKY OF THE PERIWINKLE S alkaloid vinblastine (vincaleukoblastine)
in the late 1950's and its description as a cancer chemotherapeutic conipound,g, 13 a number of reports have appeared concerning its efficacy in neoplastic disease in general-O , 3, 5 , 6,
l 4 1 I7 and in Hoclgkin's disease in particular.J, 11, 1H Although vinblastine has proven to be a t least as effective as the alkylating agents, few reports in the American literature have iridicated the value of vinblastine or the clinical settings in which it should be used. Tlius, early American publication concentrated either on patients with localized disease suitable for irradiation or with unresponsive terminal disease, while the recent reports have Been cooperative studies in which drug administration was to some extent dictated by experimental protocol.
T h e present publication concerns the past 33% year's experience at the Massachusetts From the John