[Responses of 109 adult soft tissue sarcoma patients to chemotherapy].
OBJECTIVE
The response of adult soft tissue sarcoma (STS) to chemotherapy is uncertain. This study was to evaluate the role of chemotherapy in treating adult soft tissue sarcoma.


METHODS
Clinical data of 109 adult soft tissue sarcoma patients, treated with chemotherapy at Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2005, were analyzed.


RESULTS
Of the 109 patients, 66 received palliative chemotherapy, 40 received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 3 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The overall response rate for first line chemotherapy was 22.7%. The median survival was 16.9 months. The 1-and 2-year survival rates were 63.6% and 33.3%. The patients with lung metastasis had a significantly longer median survival than those with liver metastasis did (25.1 months vs. 11.8 months, P<0.05). MAID and CYVADIC were the most commonly used first-line chemotherapy regimens; the response rates were 28.0% and 22.2%, respectively. When anthracycline and/or standard dose ifosfamide failed, the patients could still benefit from high dose ifosfamide (14.0 g/m(2)). The median survival was significantly shorter in the patients who got metastasis within 6 months after diagnosis than in those that got metastasis more than 6 months after diagnosis (11.8 months vs. 42.9 months, P=0.04). Of the 40 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, 16 developed progression during follow-up: 10 had relapse and 6 had distant metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
MAID and CYVADIC are two effective chemotherapy regimens for adult soft tissue sarcoma. We recommend to take a high dose ifosfamide when anthracycline and/or standard dose ifosfamide failed. The patients with liver metastasis are more resistant to chemotherapy than those with lung metastasis. Developing metastasis within 6 months after diagnosis is a poor prognostic factor.
Qiu
Miao-Zhen
MZ
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, PR China.
Xu
Fei
F
Wang
Shu-Sen
SS
Luo
Hui-Yan
HY
Wang
Feng
F
Li
Fang-Hua
FH
Sun
Xiao-Fei
XF
Xu
Guang-Chuan
GC
Lin
Tong-Yu
TY
Huang
Hui-Qiang
HQ
Jiang
Wen-Qi
WQ
Guan
Zhong-Zhen
ZZ
Xu
Rui-Hua
RH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D015080:Mesna / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010166:Palliative Care; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D014750:Vincristine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D015080:Mesna; D007069:Ifosfamide