title: [A pilot study of high-dose zorubicin in advanced stages of soft tissue sarcoma in adults].
abstract: High-dose anthracyclines, doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 and epirubicin 150-180 mg/m2, are the most active drugs in the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma. These dosages are associated with significant hematological toxicity for both drugs and a high risk of cardiotoxicity for doxorubicin. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the activity of zorubicin in advanced soft tissue sarcoma, with a dosage supposed to be equihematotoxic to epirubicin 180 mg/m2. Twenty of 21 patients who had been included in the study were evaluable for response, 15 males and five females, median age 41 (range 20-67) years. All patients received zorubicin 600 mg/m2 per cycle divided in 3 days, the intercycle interval being 4 weeks. The cardiac function was monitored by determinations of left ventricular ejection fraction before each cycle. Therapeutic response was the following: 2/20 patients (10%) complete response, 6/20 (30%) partial response, 6/20 (30%) stable disease and 6/20 (30%) progressive disease, the overall response rate being 8/20 (40%). Complete responses were observed in a patient with undifferentiated sarcoma of the mediastinum and in a patient with unresectable angiosarcoma of subcutaneous tissues. The major toxicity was hematological, with granulocytopenia grade 4 occurring in 42/66 cycles, and the nadir on day 10 of the treatment cycle. Nine of 66 cycles were complicated by febrile neutropenia and stomatitis of any grade was recorded in only 1/66 cycles. No cumulative cardiotoxicity was observed up to a total cumulative zorubicin dose of 3,000 mg/m2.
authors.affiliation: Institut za onkologiju i radiologiju, Belgrade, Yougoslavie, Serbie.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jelić
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tomasević
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kreacić
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kovcin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radosavljević
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlajić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; C002205:zorubicin; D003630:Daunorubicin