title: Treatment of advanced refractory sarcomas with ifosfamide and etoposide combination chemotherapy.
abstract: Chemotherapy options for resistant advanced-stage sarcomas are limited and in most cases disappointing. In a phase II study, we treated 26 consecutive patients with refractory advanced sarcoma with ifosfamide and etoposide combination chemotherapy. All patients had received prior doxorubicin- and/or cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapies. Seventeen patients were male and 9 were female. The patients' median age was 35 years (range: 19-67 years). A total of 24 patients were eligible for evaluation of responses. Seven patients had a complete response (CR) (29.1%), 3 had a partial response (PR) (12.5%), 3 had stable disease (SD) (12.5%), and 11 had progressive disease (PD) (45.9%). An overall 41.6% objective response was achieved. Median time to treatment failure was 13.3 months. A total of 108 cycles of therapy were evaluable for evaluation of toxicity. Myelosuppression, observed in 55.5% of the treatment courses, was the major dose-limiting toxicity. Nausea and vomiting, seen in 64% of the courses, were the most important nonhematological side effects. Alopecia was almost universal. Hemorrhagic cystitis was observed in only 1 patient. We have concluded that the combination of ifosfamide, mesna, and etoposide is effective in advanced refractory sarcomas, and has acceptable toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Institute of Oncology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yalçin
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Güllü
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barişta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tekuzman
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozişik
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kars
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D007069:Ifosfamide