Treatment of Bronchogenic Carcinoma with Nitrogen Mustard

¹ Resident in Internal Medicine, Veterans Administration Hospital, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
² Attending Physician, Veterans Administration Hospital, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.

1) The effects of methyl-bis-(B chloroethyl) amine in 19 patients with histologically proved bronchogenic carcinoma are described. These cases were unsuitable for other forms of therapy.

2) Seven of the 19 patients are still alive. Five of the seven living have anaplastic carcinoma.

3) A good effect was obtained in two patients having anaplastic carcinoma. One is still living nine months after three and one-half courses of nitrogen mustard therapy. The other patient is still living six months following two courses of HN2. Both had superior mediastinal involvement with decrease in tumor size and symptoms following therapy.

4) Nitrogen mustard often resulted in decrease in the leukocyte count, and platelet count, but in no patient did serious complications arise as the result of these effects. Toxic manifestations of nausea and vomiting were observed in several patients following HN2 administration, but the intensity of these symptoms varied greatly.