Pilot study of a rapid etoposide-cisplatin regimen in paediatric soft tissue sarcomas

10 patients with refractory or relapsed soft tissue sarcoma were treated with weekly etoposide (150 mg/m2 on days 1, 2 and 3) and cisplatin (60 mg/m2 on day 2). Toxicity was mainly myelosuppression which resulted in deviation from planned weekly chemotherapy scheduling. With this rapid dose-delivery schedule the tolerated median dose intensities were 161 mg/m2 per week for etoposide and 49 mg/m2 per week for cisplatin. In 9 evaluable patients there were 7 responses, 2 complete and 5 partial, giving a response rate of 78% (confidence interval 51-100%). The combination of etoposide and cisplatin in this schedule produced a higher response rate than reported with previous schedules and is worthy of further evaluation.