Histologic response of dose-intense chemotherapy with preoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy for patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcomas

BACKGROUND. The authors studied a dose-intense regimen of epirubicin and ifosfamide with hypofractionated preoperative radiotherapy for high-risk soft tissue sarcomas. The primary objective was estimation of the rate of >= 95% pathologic necrosis. METHODS. Twenty-five patients with intermediate-grade or high-grade, localized soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity or body wall measuring > 5 cm were treated with epirubicin at a dose of 30 mg/m(2)/day on Days 1 to 4 and ifosfamide at a dose of 2.5 g/m(2)/day on Days 1 to 4 every 21 days for 3 preoperative and 3 postoperative cycles. A total of 28 grays of radiation was administered over 8 fractions during Cycle 2 of preoperative therapy (epirubicin was omitted). RESULTS. Sixteen patients (64%) completed all chemotherapy cycles and the average delivered dose intensity relative to intended therapy was 69%. Twenty-one patients (84%) experienced grade 4 toxicity (using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 2.0]), which was predominantly hematologic. Notable toxicities included neutropenic fever (40%), ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy (24%), and grade 3/4 anemia (64%). Postoperative wound complications requiring a surgical procedure occurred in 20% of patients. The rate of >= 95% pathologic necrosis was 40% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 21-59%). Estimates of 2-year overall and disease-free survival were 84% (95% Cl, 66-100%) and 62% (95% CI, 37-86%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS. A high rate of >= 95% pathologic necrosis was noted with this aggressive chemo radiotherapy regimen. The occurrence of significant acute toxicities limited the delivery of the intended dose intensity.