Granulocyte colony stimulating factor permits dose intensification by interval compression in the treatment of Ewing's sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas in children.
71 children with sarcomas were treated in a prospective pilot study to determine whether granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) permits compression of the interval between chemotherapy cycles. Patients had Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET), rhabdomyosarcoma, non-rhabdo soft tissue sarcomas or other advanced soft tissue tumours. The chemotherapy alternated vincristine-doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide-etoposide, with G-CSF between courses. Therapy had two phases: induction (six cycles) and continuation (six cycles), which included primary tumour treatment with surgery and/or radiation. Chemotherapy cycles began every 14 days, or upon absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and platelet count recovery. The median chemotherapy cycle interval was 16 (11-48) days in the induction phase, with a median average relative dose intensification (ARDI) of 1.27 compared with every-21-day therapy. In the continuation phase, the median cycle interval was 21 days, with a median ARDI of 1.10. Radiation therapy prolonged chemotherapy intervals, whilst erythropoietin shortened them. Toxicity was modest for such chemotherapy. Event-free survival is comparable with or superior to that in recent large studies. G-CSF permits intensification of this regimen through interval compression. The impact of this approach on efficacy remains to be determined in a randomised trial.
Womer
R B
RB
Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. rwomer@mail.med.upenn.edu
Daller
R T
RT
Fenton
J G
JG
Miser
J S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D007069:Ifosfamide