title: Malignant uterine smooth muscle tumors: role of etoposide, cisplatin, and doxorubicin (EPA) chemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nearly 80% of patients with malignant uterine smooth muscle tumor will suffer local relapse and/or distant metastases after initial surgical resection. There is no convincing evidence that the addition of pelvic radiation improves the outcome. However, adjuvant chemotherapy might be an appropriate therapeutic modality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1986 and 1991, 13 consecutive patients with malignant uterine smooth muscle tumors were treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital with a combination chemotherapy containing etoposide 100 mg/M2 on days 1 and 2, cisplatin 50 mg/M2 on day 1, and doxorubicin 50 mg/M2 on day 1, repeated every 28 days. Six patients had Stage I disease, one patient had Stage III disease, and six patients had Stage IV disease. The number of cycles ranged from 2 to 9.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median follow-up was 30 months (range 4-81). The mean overall survival for the group was 43.1 +/- 6.7 months, with the progression-free interval of 25.5 +/- 8.0 months. Of the seven patients with evaluable disease, one patient had complete response and one had partial response (total response rate of 28.6%). Of the six patients treated adjuvantly, three recurred at 9, 33, and 59 months (recurrence rate of 50%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that this combination has only modest activity against malignant uterine smooth muscle tumors at the schedule and doses tested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Resnik
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Carcangiu
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Kohorn
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: I T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009215:Myometrium; D009379:Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin