Prolonged oral etoposide for refractory advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma

The case of a patient with a uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) that rapidly recurred in the pelvis following primary surgery is reported. The tumor was refractory to conventional multiagent chemotherapy that included intravenously administered etoposide (VP-16). Etoposide was then administered orally in a prolonged schedule; this resulted in a sustained partial response with palliation of symptoms. Thus, prolonged oral administration of etoposide may have antitumor activity against LMS despite that tumor's resistance to short-term infusion schedules of etoposide.