ICE Regimen for Relapsed/Refractory Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcomas in Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Sarcoma Research
• Chemotherapy Regimens

Background:

• Relapsed bone and soft tissue sarcomas (BST) have a poor prognosis with limited treatment options.
• The ifosfamide, etoposide, and carboplatin (ICE) regimen has shown promising responses in BST.
• Survival rates for relapsed BST are often less than 39%.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the demographic features, treatment response, and outcomes of children with recurrent or refractory BST treated with the ICE regimen.
• To assess the efficacy of ICE as a second-line treatment for pediatric sarcomas.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of patient files for children diagnosed with BST and treated with ICE at relapse or progression.
• Inclusion criteria: primary BST diagnosis, treated with ICE for relapse, progression, or unresponsive disease.

Main Results:

• Overall response rate (ORR) to ICE was 43%, with median 5 cycles administered.
• First and second-year overall survival (OS) rates were 83% and 62%, respectively.
• Significantly higher survival rates (event-free survival [EFS] and OS) were observed in good responders and patients without metastases at relapse.

Conclusions:

• The ICE combination regimen improves outcomes for relapsed or refractory pediatric sarcomas.
• ICE may serve as an effective second-line treatment option.
• Patients with non-metastatic disease at relapse benefit more significantly from ICE therapy compared to those with metastatic disease.