Isolated limb perfusion with tumor necrosis factor and melphalan prevents amputation in patients with multiple sarcomas in arm or leg.
BACKGROUND
Treatment for extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) has shifted in recent years from amputation to local wide excision combined with irradiation. For multiple sarcomas, this limb-sparing approach is often not possible. To avoid amputations, isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with tumor necrosis factor and melphalan is an attractive treatment option for patients with multiple extremity sarcomas.


METHODS
We investigated a prospective database at a tertiary referral institute. From July 1991 to July 2003, out of 217 ILPs, 64 ILPs were performed for either multifocal primary sarcomas or multiple sarcoma recurrences in 53 patients. All ILPs were performed under mild hyperthermic conditions by using 1 to 4 mg of tumor necrosis factor and 10 to 13 mg/L of limb volume for leg and arm perfusions, respectively.


RESULTS
The overall response was 88%, with 42% complete response, 45% partial response, 11% no change, and 2% progressive disease. This response rate is significantly better than our experience in 153 locally advanced single-STS cases (88% vs. 69%). The toxicity of the procedure was mild to moderate in almost all cases; no treatment-related amputation had to be performed. The time to local recurrence was 29 months and differed significantly between multiple primary and multiple recurrent STS. The 5-year survival rate was 39%. Limb salvage was achieved in 45 (82%) of 55 treated limbs.


CONCLUSIONS
In a group of patients who are uniformly candidates for amputation, ILP can achieve limb salvage in approximately four out of five patients. Because this treatment option provides excellent local control, it should be considered before an amputation is planned.
Grünhagen
Dirk J
DJ
Department of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus MC-Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, 301 Groene Hilledijk, 3075 EA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Brunstein
Flavia
F
Graveland
Wilfried J
WJ
van Geel
Albertus N
AN
de Wilt
Johannes H W
JH
Eggermont
Alexander M M
AM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D001132:Arm / Q000473:pathology; D010478:Chemotherapy, Cancer, Regional Perfusion; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007866:Leg / Q000473:pathology; D023821:Limb Salvage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome