melphalan and Neuroectodermal-Tumors--Primitive--Peripheral

Patients with locally advanced or metastatic/recurrent soft tissue and Ewing's sarcoma (EWS) have few treatment options. The purpose of our phase II study was to assess the feasibility, safety and efficacy of tandem high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in such patients.. Thirteen patients were enrolled onto this study. The first cycle of HDCT consisted of doxorubicin (150 mg/m(2)) and ifosfamide (14 g/m(2)) mixed with mesna (14 g/m(2)), while the second cycle consisted of melphalan (150 mg/m(2)) and cisplatin (200 mg/m(2)).. Eleven out of 13 patients were able to complete both cycles of HDCT. No treatment-related mortality occurred and grade 3 or 4 toxicity was clinically tolerable. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients was 23% (confidence interval, CI: 0-46%) and 31% (CI: 14-70%), respectively. Out of the four patients still alive, two had EWS and measurable disease at the time of ASCT and achieved a complete remission, remaining progression free 126 and 155 months after ASCT.. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and safety of tandem HDCT in patients with high-risk or metastatic/recurrent sarcoma, with some patients achieving long-term PFS and OS.

Topics: Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bone Neoplasms; Cisplatin; Combined Modality Therapy; Disease Progression; Doxorubicin; Feasibility Studies; Female; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; Ifosfamide; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Male; Melphalan; Mesna; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral; Osteosarcoma; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Protective Agents; Remission Induction; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Safety; Sarcoma; Sarcoma, Ewing; Survival Rate; Transplantation, Autologous; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult

The prognosis of metastatic/high-risk localized small round-cell tumors (SRCTs) treated conventionally is dismal. In this phase II study, we explored a high-dose chemotherapy (HD-CT) approach and analyzed the clinical significance of fusion transcripts detection.. From June 1997 to November 1999, 28 SRCT patients (median age, 26 years; 14 peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors [pPNETs], seven rhabdomyosarcomas [RMSs], and seven desmoplastic small round-cell tumors [DSRCTs]) received induction chemotherapy with ifosfamide, epirubicin, and vincristine followed by HD-CT. Local treatment (radiotherapy and/or surgery) was performed when possible. Molecular analysis was performed on peripheral-blood and leukapheresis products by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.. Overall response (OR) was 65% (18 of 28), with 40% complete response and 25% partial response. According to histology, the OR rate was 86% in pPNET and 43% in both RMS DSRCT. With a median follow-up of 35 months, median overall survival was 16 months and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10 months. PFS was statistically better in pPNET than other histologic types (P =.0045). No correlation was found between the fusion transcript and clinical outcome during follow-up. Furthermore, transcript detection in leukapheretic products was not of prognostic significance.. Intensive HD-CT seems to enhance the response rate and survival when compared with conventional treatment in poor-prognosis pPNET. The poor results of this treatment in RMS and DSRCT do not support the inclusion of such an approach in these patient subsets. No definitive conclusions can currently be drawn concerning the clinical implications of the detection of fusion transcripts during treatment or follow-up.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Chromosome Aberrations; Cyclophosphamide; Epirubicin; Etoposide; Female; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; Ifosfamide; Male; Melphalan; Middle Aged; Mitoxantrone; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral; Prospective Studies; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Survival Analysis; Thiotepa; Vincristine