Hexamethylmelamine: activity in lymphoma and other tumors.

Hexamethylmelamine, an orally administered substituted melamine, has single agent activity in lymphoma (39% PR + CR), cervical cancer (28% PR), transitional carcinoma of the bladder (27% PR + CR), and Bilharzial bladder cancer (38% PR). Toxicity is mild and reversible and is manifested by myelosuppression, neurotoxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity. The potential role of hexamethylmelamine in combination chemotherapy in the diseases in which it has single agent activity is largely unexplored and should be investigated in clinical trials.