Adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with soft tissue sarcoma

Forty patients with soft tissue sarcoma (Enneking's stage I and II) were treated in our department between 1965 and 1992. We administered VACA regimen (composed of vincristine, actinomycin-D, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin) to 14 of 40 patients. Among 40 patients, the 5-year survival rate was 56% in 14 patients with chemotherapy and 39% in 26 without chemotherapy (p < 0.02). In 32 patients of Stage II, the 5-year survival rate was 40% in 11 patients with chemotherapy and 31% without chemotherapy (p < 0.05). The improvement of the survival rate was due to delay in the development of lung metastases (chemotherapy group: 21.2 months after first visit, non-chemotherapy group: 9.4 months) and prolongation of the survival period after metastases (chemotherapy group: 26 months, non-chemotherapy group: 7.4 months).