title: Epirubicin/dacarbazine rapidly alternated with ifosfamide in the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcomas.
abstract: Twenty-eight patients with non-pretreated metastatic soft tissue sarcomas were entered on a treatment protocol of rapidly alternating epirubicin/dacarbazine and ifosfamide: Epirubicin 100 mg/m2 d1, dacarbazine 500 mg/m2 d1 + d2, ifosfamide 6000 mg/m2 24-h infusion d15; repeated d29. Eight patients (30%) achieved partial responses, with a median duration of 8.5 months. The median time to progression was 5.5 months. Myelosuppression was the main toxicity. Only 74% of the planned dose intensity could be administered. This rapidly alternating treatment protocol is not superior to anthracycline single agent therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, University of Hannover Medical School, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bokemeyer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harstrick
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schmoll
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Köhne-Wömpner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schöffski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Poliwoda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D003606:Dacarbazine; D007069:Ifosfamide