Response to combination of cisplatin and 120-hour continuous intravenous (iv) Infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was evaluated in patients with disseminated and recurrent cancer of the head and neck who had failed to respond to previous therapies. Cisplatin 70 mg/m², iv four-hour infusion was given in the first day with careful hydration and mannitol diuresis; 5-FU 1000 mg/m²/day for five-day continuous iv infusion was started after cisplatin infusion. Of the 24 patients evaluated, there were 3 complete and 4 partial responses (12.5%,16.6%, respectively). Overall response rate was 29.1%. Response rate in patients with recurrent disease was 54% and 0% in patients with disseminated disease (p<0.01). Median follow-up period was 128 weeks and median survival was 39 weeks. In general, toxic effects were mild and tolerable. We conclude that the efficacy of cisplatin and 120-hour 5-FU infusion in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic head and neck carcinoma is not superior to that of other trials reported in the literature.