Response to ifosfamide and mesna: 124 previously treated patients with metastatic or unresectable sarcoma

European and American investigators have reported response rates of 38% to 83% for ifosfamide alone in pretreated sarcomas. In a phase II trial of ifosfamide 2.0g/m2 days 1 to 4 with mesna uroprotection in 124 patients with previously failed sarcomas, four (3%) responded completely (95% exact confidence interval, 1% to 8%) and 26 (21%) had a complete or partial response (95% exact confidence interval, 14% to 29%). The median time to progression was 5 and 9 months for partial and complete responders, respectively. In the subset of soft tissue sarcomas, the response rate for the patients receiving bolus administration was 26%, compared with 9% for the patients receiving a continuous infusion schedule (P = .03). The response rates among patients with soft tissue and bony sarcomas with a performance score of 0-2 and 0-1 prior to chemotherapy administration were 20% and 40%, respectively. Somnolence or confusion developed in 19%. Neurotoxicity was significantly associated with poor performance status (P less than .01), elevated creatinine (P less than .01), and low bicarbonate levels (P = .05). A serum bicarbonate less than 20 developed in 31% of the patients and was significantly associated with older age (P = .01), elevated creatinine (P = .02), and female sex (P = .06). Hematuria was significantly associated with no uroprotection (the first four patients did not receive mesna because it was unavailable), but was not associated with prior cyclophosphamide, pelvic radiotherapy, age, or bolus v continuation infusion schedule. Thus, ifosfamide is active in failed sarcomas and warrants further study in previously untreated patients with sarcoma.