scholarly journals Gemcitabine Maintenance Therapy in Patients With Metastasized Soft Tissue Sarcomas

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Christoph Harrer ◽  
Sebastian Buschauer ◽  
Ulrich Sterz ◽  
Karin Menhart ◽  
Christina Wendl ◽  
...  

BackgroundMetastasized soft-tissue sarcomas still pose a significant therapeutic challenge given the limited efficacy of currently available multimodal treatment strategies. Recent progress in molecular characterization of sarcoma subtypes has enabled successful personalized therapy approaches in a minority of selected patients with targetable mutations. However, in the majority of patients with refractory soft tissue sarcomas, long-term survival remains poor.MethodsWe report on three adult patients with various soft tissue sarcomas subjected to Gemcitabine maintenance therapy. Tumor entities included leiomyosarcoma of the pancreas (patient 1), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the right femur (patient 2), and peri-aortic leiomyosarcoma (patient 3). Metastatic sites encompassed liver, lung, and bones. All patients received Gemcitabine maintenance therapy until disease progression following prior salvage chemotherapy with Docetaxel and Gemcitabine. Patients were treated outside of clinical trials. Response assessment was based on radiological imaging.ResultsIn response to salvage chemotherapy with Docetaxel and Gemcitabine, one patient exhibited a partial remission, and two patients showed stable disease. Patient 1 exhibited stable disease for 6 months during Gemcitabine maintenance therapy before suffering rapid progression of hepatic metastases. Patient 2 underwent 21 months of Gemcitabine maintenance therapy, which was discontinued after progressive pulmonary metastases were detected. Patient 3 is still being treated with Gemcitabine maintenance therapy. Remarkably, owing to significant chemotherapy-associated hematotoxicity, the dose of Gemcitabine dose was reduced by two-thirds. Nevertheless, stable disease with constant pulmonary metastases has been maintained in this patient for 14 months.ConclusionsGemcitabine maintenance therapy following prior Docetaxel and Gemcitabine chemotherapy is manageable and reveals potential benefits for patients with aggressive metastasized soft tissue sarcomas. Prospective trials evaluating Gemcitabine maintenance therapy are encouraged.

1985 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 1261-1265 ◽  
Author(s):  
H I Pass ◽  
A Dwyer ◽  
R Makuch ◽  
J A Roth

A prospective serial evaluation in 19 patients with soft-tissue and osteogenic sarcomas was performed to determine whether computerized tomography (CT) or conventional linear tomography (LT) detected pulmonary metastases earlier. Analysis of the metastatic nodules was performed radiographically with histologic confirmation by obtaining serial CTs and LTs followed by metastasectomy. Nodules were classified as stable, growing, or developing and by detection on CT and/or LT. CT was the first positive study in a significantly greater number of patients (13 CT, 1 LT; P less than .005), and CT detected the nodules earlier than LT (56 CT first v 7 LT first; P less than .0001). Ninety of 166 nodules resected were detected by CT, LT, or both (54%). The median size of metastatic nodules documented at surgical exploration and first detected by CT was significantly smaller than that first detected by LT (7.6 mm for CT v 13.2 mm for LT; P less than .05). Of 55 histologically documented metastases detected initially either by CT or LT, CT was markedly superior to LT with 50 (91%) first detected only by CT (P less than .001). These data reveal that CT detects more pulmonary metastases earlier than LT and that developing or growing nodules in patients with sarcomas are usually metastases. Decisions regarding metastasis resection in sarcoma patients, therefore, should be based primarily on CT findings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Farzaliyev ◽  
Hans-Ulrich Steinau ◽  
Halil-Ibrahim Karadag ◽  
Alexander Touma ◽  
Lars Erik Podleska

In this retrospective study, we analysed the long-term oncological and functional results after extended ray resection for sarcoma of the hand. Recurrence-free and overall survivals were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. The function of the operated hand was assessed with the Michigan Hand Questionnaire and compared with the contralateral side. Extended ray resection was performed in 25 out of 168 consecutive patients with soft-tissue and bony sarcomas of the hand. The overall 5- and 10-year, disease-specific survival rates were 86% and 81%, respectively. Local recurrences were observed in two patients. The Michigan Hand Questionnaire score for the affected hand at follow-up in nine patients was 82 points versus 95 for the healthy contralateral hands. We conclude that extended ray resection of osseous sarcomas breaking through the bone into the soft tissue or for soft tissue sarcomas invading bone is a preferable alternative to hand ablation when excision can be achieved with tumour-free margins. Level of evidence: III


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magda Cordeiro ◽  
José Manuel Casanova ◽  
Joana Rodrigues ◽  
João Freitas ◽  
Ruben Fonseca ◽  
...  

Leiomyosarcomas of the lower extremity are extremely rare disorders and account for 10–15% of limb soft tissue sarcomas. These tumours have poor prognosis and even in early stages, patients persist at high risk for local and distant relapse; consequently, the treatment of advanced leiomyosarcoma of the lower extremity embodies a substantial defy. We present the case of a 73-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic lower extremity leiomyosarcoma of the hallux soft tissue, and with bone, lung and lymph node metastasis. After core needle biopsy confirmation of high-grade fusocellular sarcoma, the patient underwent surgery of the primary tumour and received anthracycline-based chemotherapy. However, after a 7-month progression-free survival period, a CT revealed lung disease progression. Sequentially, the patient was treated with trabectedin (Yondelis®) at a dose of 1.5 mg/m2 resulting in complete remission of the lung metastasis and stable disease of the remaining lesions after 26 months of treatment. Afterwards, the patient started on maintenance therapy with trabectedin, resulting in long-lasting stable disease, as he was able to receive 94 cycles with very acceptable quality of life. Finally, in March 2019, the patient died of community-acquired pneumonia without objective progression disease. This clinical case reports the first patient ever treated with 94 cycles of trabectedin. Our results additionally confirm that trabectedin wields relevant oncostatic benefits with a manageable safety profile and without cumulative toxicities. Trabectedin properties enable a maintenance long-term therapy (until disease progression or unbearable toxicity), with a high impact on survival and with a preserved quality of life.


2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (28) ◽  
pp. 7135-7142 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. D'Adamo ◽  
Sibyl E. Anderson ◽  
Karen Albritton ◽  
Jennifer Yamada ◽  
Elyn Riedel ◽  
...  

Purpose To evaluate the antitumor activity and tolerability of bevacizumab and doxorubicin in patients with metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). Patients and Methods Patients may have had up to one nonanthracycline line of therapy. Seventeen patients with metastatic STS were treated with doxorubicin at 75 mg/m2 intravenous (IV) push followed by bevacizumab 15 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks. Dexrazoxane was started for total doxorubicin dose exceeding 300 mg/m2. Results A total of 85 cycles of doxorubicin/bevacizumab were administered, median four cycles (range, one to 11), with three patients receiving one to four cycles of bevacizumab maintenance after reaching 600 mg/m2 doxorubicin. All 17 patients were assessable for response. Two partial responses (12%, 95% CI = 1% to 36%) were observed, lasting seven and 12 cycles of therapy. Eleven patients (65%) had stable disease for four cycles or more. Six patients developed cardiac toxicity grade 2 or greater, with four patients grade 2 (cumulative doxorubicin 75, 150, 300, 300 mg/m2, respectively), one grade 3 (total doxorubicin 591 mg/m2), and one grade 4 (total doxorubicin 420 mg/m2). One patient with extensive lung disease died of recurrent bilateral pneumothoraces, possibly treatment-related. Conclusion The 12% response rate for these patients was no greater than that observed for single-agent doxorubicin. However, the 65% of patients with stable disease lasting four cycles or longer suggests further study is warranted in STSs. The observed cardiac toxicity, despite close monitoring and standard use of dexrazoxane, obliges a change in the dose and/or schedule in future studies of this combination.


2015 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 425-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Nandra ◽  
N Hwang ◽  
GS Matharu ◽  
K Reddy ◽  
R Grimer

Introduction For many cancers, one-year mortality following diagnosis is a reflection of either advanced stage at diagnosis, multiple co-morbidities and/or complications of treatment. One-year mortality has not been reported for soft tissue or bone sarcomas. This study reports 1-year sarcoma mortality data over a 25-year period, investigates prognostic factors and considers whether a delay in presentation affects 1-year mortality. Methods A total of 4,945 newly diagnosed bone sarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma patients were identified from a prospectively maintained, single institution oncology database. Of these, 595 (12%) died within 1 year of diagnosis. Both patient factors and tumour characteristics available at diagnosis were analysed for effect. Results There was significant variation in one-year mortality between different histological subtypes. There has been no significant change in mortality rate during the last 25 years (mean: 11.7%, standard deviation: 2.8 percentage points). Soft tissue sarcoma patients who survived over one year reported a longer duration of symptoms preceding diagnosis than those who died (median: 26 vs 20 weeks, p<0.001). Prognostic factors identified in both bone and soft tissue sarcomas mirrored those for mid to long-term survival, with high tumour stage, large tumour size, metastases at diagnosis and increasing age having the greatest predictive effect. Conclusions One-year mortality in bone and soft tissue sarcoma patients is easy to measure, and could be a proxy for late presentation and therefore a potential performance indicator, similar to other cancers. It is possible to predict the risk of one-year mortality using factors available at diagnosis. Death within one year does not correlate with a long history but is associated with advanced disease at diagnosis.


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