The management of adult soft tissue sarcomas

Effect of high-dose ifosfamide in advanced soft tissue sarcomas. A multicentre phase II study of the EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group

In this phase II study the effect of high-dose ifosfamide (HDI) given as a 3-day continuous infusion at a dose of 12 g/m2 repeated every 4 weeks with adequate mesna protection and hydration was evaluated in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas. A total of 124 patients entered the trial of which 10 were ineligible. HDI was given both as first-line and second-line chemotherapy. Median age was 46 years (19-66 years). Median World Health Organization (WHO) performance status was 1 (0-1). Fifty two per cent of the patients were males. The predominant histology was leiomyosarcoma (33%). A maximum of six cycles was given. At the time of analysis 55 patients have died. The partial response (PR) rate was 16%. The median time to progression was 15 weeks. 8 of the 18 responding patients (44%) had synovial sarcomas, whereas only 5% of the patients having leiomyosarcomas responded. The grade 3 + 4 haematological toxicity encountered was neutrophils in 78% and platelets in 12%. The major grade 3 + 4 non-haematological toxicities encountered were febrile neutropenia in 39%, infection in 20%, and acute renal failure in 4%. In conclusion, it is possible to administer HDI on a multicentre basis, but the toxicity is substantial. HDI given as a continuous infusion at this dose cannot be recommended as the standard treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas, even in selected patients.

High-dose epirubicin is not an alternative to standard-dose doxorubicin in the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas. A study of the EORTC soft tissue and bone sarcoma group

The activity and toxicity of single-agent standard-dose doxorubicin were compared with that of two schedules of high-dose epirubicin. A total of 334 chemonaive patients with histologically confirmed advanced soft-tissue sarcomas received (A) doxorubicin 75 mg m(-2) on day 1 (112 patients), (B) epirubicin 150 mg m(-2) on day 1 (111 patients) or (C) epirubicin 50 mg m(-2) day(-1) on days 1, 2 and 3 (111 patients); all given as bolus injection at 3-week intervals. A median of four treatment cycles was given. Median age was 52 years (19-70 years) and performance score 1 (0-2). Of 314 evaluable patients, 45 (14%) had an objective tumour response (eight complete response, 35 partial response). There were no differences among the three groups. Median time to progression for groups A, B and C was 16, 14 and 12 weeks, and median survival 45, 47 and 45 weeks respectively. Neither progression-free (P = 0.93) nor overall survival (P = 0.89) differed among the three groups. After the first cycle of therapy, two patients died of infection and one owing to cardiovascular disease, all on epirubicin. Both dose schedules of epirubicin were more myelotoxic than doxorubicin. Cardiotoxicity (> or = grade 3) occurred in 1%, 0% and 2% respectively. Regardless of the schedule, high-dose epirubicin is not a preferred alternative to standard-dose doxorubicin in the treatment of patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcomas.

Prostatic leiomyosarcoma: the case for combined modality therapy

Patient. A 65-year old man who had previously undergone surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia presented with symptoms of recurrent bladder outflow obstruction. Cystoscopy revealed the presence of recurrent tissue.

Results. Histology identified a leiomyosarcoma. Several years after further surgery and radiotherapy, the patient presented with secondaries in the lungs and brain, but there was no evidence of local recurrence.

Discussion. It is suggested that combined modality therapy (conservative surgical resection followed by adjuvant radical radiotherapy) be the initial treatment for prostatic leiomyosarcoma.

The relationship between tumor oxygenation and cell proliferation in human soft tissue sarcomas

PURPOSE

In malignant tumors the oxygenation status and tumor cell proliferation are known to influence local tumor control after radiotherapy. However, the relationship between oxygenation status and tumor cell kinetics in human tumors has not yet been described. Newly developed clinically applicable techniques such as oxygen electrode measurements and assessment of tumor cell proliferation rates have been suggested as promising predictive assays. The purpose of the present study was to characterize tumor oxygenation status in soft tissue sarcomas and to compare this with tumor cell kinetics and clinical parameters.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Pretreatment tumor oxygenation status was measured by polarographic oxygen needle electrodes and evaluated as the median pO2 and the percentage of pO2 values < or = 5 mmHg and < or = 2.5 mmHg in 22 patients with primary soft tissue sarcomas. All tumors were characterized by histology, grade of malignancy, the level of microscopic necrosis, the level of effective hemoglobin, and magnetic resonance imaging estimation of tumor volume. The tumor cell potential doubling time and labeling index were measured by flow cytometric and immunohistochemical analysis of tumor biopsy specimens after in vivo incorporation of iododeoxyuridine.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation between the median pO2 and the tumor cell potential doubling time (p = 0.041), whereas no correlation was found between the level of hypoxia expressed by the percentage of pO2 values < or = 2.5 and < or = 5 mmHg, respectively, and tumor cell potential doubling time. Furthermore, no correlation was found between either of the three tumor oxygenation parameters and labeling index. The material represented large intertumor heterogeneity in oxygenation status, cell kinetics, and tumor volume, and no correlation was found between oxygenation status and either volume, histopathology, grade of malignancy, or effective hemoglobin.

CONCLUSION

This report is the first to suggest a correlation between tumor oxygenation and tumor cell doubling time, as the fastest proliferating tumor cells were found in the poorest oxygenated soft tissue sarcomas. More data are needed to clarify if this relation is really a true biological phenomenon. Furthermore, tumor oxygenation status of soft tissue sarcomas was heterogeneous and independent of clinical and histopathological parameters.