Feasibility of combined modality therapy for localized high-grade soft tissue sarcomas in adults

Abstract

Seventeen consecutive patients with localized, high grade soft tissue sarcomas had resection of their primary tumor, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The soft tissue sarcoma was primary in 14 patients and regionally recurrent in 3 patients. Chemotherapy consisted of cyclophosphamide 500 Mg/M 2 day 1, Adriamycin (ADR) 60 mg/M 2 day 2, and DTIC 400 Mg/M 2 days 1 and 2, given every 21 days to a maximum ADR dose of 450 mg/M 2. Cyclophosphamide and DTIC were then given to a total duration of 1 year. Radiation therapy consisted of 4000–5000 rad by megavoltage photons in 5 weeks, and in selected cases, an additional 1500–2000 rad by electron beam boost in the tumor bed delivered over 2 additional weeks. Following surgery, 12 patients were treated sequentially with an interval of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and then the completion of chemotherapy. The added morbidity of this sequential approach is minimal: one patient of 12 had delayed primary healing of her wound, 1 of 10 patients required a break in radiation therapy because of skin erythema. Four patients were treated with intensive pre-chemotherapy radiation therapy because of inadequate surgical margins. The median time on study was 18 months from onset of treatment (range, 8–41 months). Although there have been no local, regional or distant recurrences, the follow-up time is inadequate to assess the therapeutic benefit of this combined modality treatment.