Purpose. Chemotherapy has been tested extensively in conjunction with standard therapy in the treatment of head and neck cancer, primarily in the form of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, but few trials have shown a survival benefit. Although a few studies have suggested that adjuvant chemotherapy given after standard treatment may improve survival, to date these trials have been troubled by various problems in design and dosing. The purpose of our trial was to determine the feasibility of giving moderately intensive chemotherapy exclusively after standard therapy, and to determine whether survival appeared to be improved as measured against historical data. Methods. We used adjuvant chemotherapy in two groups of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: group A consisted of 46 patients with newly diagnosed stage III and IV disease, and group B consisted of 46 patients with relapsed disease having been treated with salvage surgery. In all patients, the intended adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of combination cisplatin, bleomycin, and infusional 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) given three weeks apart, followed by four cycles of bolus methotrexate, 5‐FU, and bleomycin given every two weeks. Results. In group A, the two‐year survival was 72%. In group B, the two‐year survival was 58%. Conclusion. Compared to the vast majority of similarly staged patients with head and neck cancer reported in the literature, the survival of our group seemed considerably better, suggesting that a definitive randomized study testing this schedule of adjuvant chemotherapy is warranted.

SummaryTranslational investigators and companies face a challenging economic environment when seeking funds to move pre-clinical stage research into human testing and beyond. Specifically, funding for cardiovascular research and product development is difficult to secure, whether from the NIH, venture capitalists, or industry. But new funding models for advancing patient-oriented science to the commercial sector are emerging. Boston-based Broadview Ventures, created by the Leducq Family Trust, promotes the development of technology for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease and stroke through direct equity-based investments. It targets early stage companies seeking to fund proof-of-concept for technologies that hold promise as future breakthroughs for patient care. With 27 such investments over the last seven years, Broadview has considerable experience in the seed/early-stage space, and its investment model is demonstrating early signs of success. Broadview actively seeks collaborations with world-class translational investigators, inventors, and their companies, and welcomes scientific inquiries, discussion and proposals for funding.

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