Docetaxel and gemcitabine in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma - a single-center experience.
BACKGROUND
Advanced stage/metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) has a poor prognosis especially after failure of the established first-line treatment. In patients with relapsed leiomyosarcoma, however, the combination of gemcitabine (G) and docetaxel (D) recently has emerged as a valuable salvage therapy.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of G (900 mg/m2, days 1+8) and D (100 mg/m2, day 8) was performed in 34 patients with STS, and response rate (RR), overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), and toxicities were evaluated.


RESULTS
Analysis of these 34 patients revealed a RR of 15% with no complete remission (CR) and 5 partial remissions (PR). Of note, 4/5 PR were achieved in patients with leiomyosarcoma. In 13 patients (38%) disease stabilization (SD) could be achieved resulting in a clinical benefit rate (CBR), defined as CR+PR+SD, of 53%. Median OS was 12.5 and TTP was 2.4 months for the whole group and 2.8 months for patients with leiomyosarcoma. A progression- free rate at 3 months of 38% and 45%, respectively, was observed in these 2 groups. Major side effects were 47% hematological and 26% grade 3/4 nonhematological toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
With regard to the observed CBR further use of GD seems to be warranted even in pretreated patients with STS.
Ebeling
Peter
P
Innere Klinik und Poliklinik (Tumorforschung), Universitätsklinikum Essen, Germany. peter.ebeling@uni-due.de
Eisele
Lewin
L
Schuett
Philipp
P
Bauer
Sebastian
S
Schuette
Jochen
J
Moritz
Thomas
T
Seeber
Siegfried
S
Flasshove
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018450:Disease Progression; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010166:Palliative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000077143:Docetaxel; D000093542:Gemcitabine