title: Chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcoma. The Scandinavian Sarcoma Group experience.
abstract: The Scandinavian Sarcoma Group (SSG) started its first chemotherapy study in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in 1981 (SSG I). This study evaluated single agent doxorubicin given adjuvant in a prospective randomized trial in patients with high-grade STS. Neither overall survival nor disease-free survival was improved. Combination chemotherapy was hereafter studied in a phase II study (1991-1994) combining ifosfamide and continuous infusion etoposide with growth factor support (SSG X). The response rate in previously untreated patients was high (42%), but complete remissions were few. Analysis made on patients operated after chemotherapy indicated improved survival in this subgroup. Meta-analyses of adjuvant chemotherapy for localised resectable STS in adults, including the SSG I trial, has indicated improved disease-free survival and a trend towards improved overall survival. Presently, SSG is testing whether such a benefit can be found for adjuvant ifosfamide and doxorubicin treatment given after primary surgery in selected patients with high-grade STS and other well defined unfavourable prognostic factors (SSG XIII).
authors.affiliation: Dept of Oncology, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. jan-olof.fernberg@ks.se
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Fernberg
authors.forename: K Sundby
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001549:Benzamides; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012042:Registries; D012074:Remission Induction; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases