title: Response to melphalan in up-front investigational window therapy for patients with metastatic Ewing's family tumours.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine the activity and toxicity of melphalan as a single agent given in up-front therapy for patients with newly-diagnosed Ewing's family tumours with bone/bone marrow metastases. Nineteen patients were enrolled from 2001 to 2004. The treatment consisted of up-front therapy with melphalan (two courses of 50 mg/m2, 3 weeks apart). The overall rate of response to melphalan (complete response+partial response, according to the RECIST criteria) was 78%. Transient grade 3-4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anaemia were recorded in 97%, 81% and 28% of melphalan courses, respectively. No other relevant toxicities were recorded. Melphalan proved to be active in up-front treatment at non-myeloablative doses, and its toxicity was predictable and manageable. The schedule adopted did not interfere with any further intensive chemotherapy or myeloablative treatment in the majority of cases.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy. roberto.luksch@istitutotumori.mi.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luksch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grignani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fagioli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brach del Prever
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aliberti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prete
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hanau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamburini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tienghi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Collini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchianò
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gandola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aglietta
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fossati-Bellani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010375:Pedigree; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D008558:Melphalan