The comparative study of clinical trials with depot-type bleomycin (oil bleomycin) and regular bleomycin in advanced lymphoma was performed. Oil bleomycin was administered 15mg i. m. weekly to 34 patients as a single agent and regular bleomycin 15mg i. v. weekly to 46 patients, all who had prior combination chemotherapy. The complete response rate in patients with reticulum cell sarcoma, lymphosarcoma and Hodgkin's disease treated with oil bleomycin was 36%, 20% and 60% respectively, and 15%, 20% and 55% respectively with regular bleomycin.
Oil bleomycin had a same response rate as regular bleomycin in Hodgkin's disease, but it had a higher complete response rate than regular bleomycin (36% in oil bleomycin vs 15% in regular bleomycin) in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Within 3 weeks from onset of therapy, the response had been achieved in 13 (86%) of 15 cases treated with oil bleomycin, but only in 10 (55%) of 18 with regular bleomycin. Rapid clinical effects were observed with smaller dose in oil bleomycin than in regular bleomycin. The mean total dose of oil bleomycin was smaller than that of regular bleomycin (87mg vs 128mg) with same degree of side effects.
