High-dose epirubicin-cisplatin chemotherapy for advanced soft tissue sarcoma

A chemotherapy regimen with epirubicin (60 mg/m2, days 1, 2 and 3) and cisplatin (30 mg/m2, days 2, 3, 4 and 5) was started for 35 patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (28 males and 7 females; median age, 50 years). All patients were chemotherapy-naive and with an expected survival of more than 2 months. All patients were evaluable for activity and toxicity. The intercycle interval was 4 weeks. Median number of cycles applied was 4 (range, 2-8). The overall response rate was 20/35 (57.1%). A complete response (CR) was achieved in 7/35 patients (20%), lasting for 26+, 26+, 13+, 13+, 9+, 9+ and 5 months; 13/35 patients (37.1%) entered a partial remission (PR), 9/35 patients (25.7%) had stable disease (SD), and 6/35 (17.1%) had progressive disease (PD). In non-responders (SD + PD), the median survival was 4 months; the median survival of responders (CR + PR) was 9+ months (the median has not yet been reached). Hematologic toxicity of grade 4 was present at least in one cycle for hemoglobin in 6/35 patients, for leukocytes in 22/35, and for platelets in 13/35. No hemorrhagic syndrome was observed. The leukopenia was usually of short duration (nadir on days 10-12). Febrile episodes were present in 18 patients during the nadir of leukopenia. No other significant toxicity was noted (apart from grade III alopecia in all patients), and specifically, there was neither acute nor cumulative cardiotoxicity.