Concurrent radiochemotherapy of locally recurrent or advanced sarcomas of the uterus

Uterine sarcomas are rare tumors. Until now, no data on the treatment of recurrent or advanced uterine sarcomas using concurrent radiochemotherapy (RCT) has been available.

From 01/1997 to 03/2004, seven patients with locally recurrent (n = 6) or locally advanced uterine sarcomas (n = 1) received concurrent RCT after tumor surgery (R1/2 resection in 3/7 patients). A total radiation dose of 45 Gy was applied in single doses of 1.8 Gy using an external-beam technique; in addition, three to four intracavitary doses of 5 Gy were applied. Concurrent chemotherapy was generally administered as follows: 1.2 g/m(2) ifosfamide on days 1-5 and 29-33 in combination with 50 or 40 mg/m(2) adriamycin on days 2 and 30. 3/7 patients received further cycles of chemotherapy. The median follow- up was 35 months.

All recurrences (before RCT) were localized either in the vagina or in or directly proximal to the vaginal stump. The main side effects of RCT were hemotoxicity (grade 3: n = 3/7; grade 4: n = 4/7; neutropenic fever n = 1/7) and diarrhea (grade 3: n = 5/7). At the median follow-up (35 months), 4/7 patients had recurrences (one local recurrence; one lymph node recurrence outside the irradiated field, two distant metastases). Local control in the irradiated field was 80% +/- 18% after 3 years. Disease-free survival calculated according to Kaplan-Meier was 57% +/- 19% after 3 years. Presently, 5/7 patients are still alive, corresponding to a 3-year survival rate of 83% +/- 15%.

Concurrent RCT shows good local effectiveness with a good long-term survival. Further evaluation in phase II studies is recommended.