Neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves outcome in osteosarcoma. Determination of optimum regimens for survival, toxicity and prognostic factors requires randomised controlled trials to be conducted.
...Between 1983 and 2002, the European Osteosarcoma Intergroup recruited 1067 patients with localised extremity osteosarcoma to three randomised controlled trials. Standard treatment in each was doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 and cisplatin 100 mg/m2. Comparators were addition of methotrexate (BO02/80831), a multidrug regimen (BO03/80861) and a dose-intense schedule (BO06/80931). Standard survival analysis methods were used to identify prognostic factors, temporal and other influences on outcome.
Five- and 10-year survival were 56% (95% confidence interval 53% to 59%) and 52%, respectively (49% to 55%), with no difference between trials or treatment arms. Median follow-up was 9.4 years. Age range was 3–40 years (median 15). Limb salvage was achieved in 69%. Five hundred and thirty-three patients received the standard arm, 79% completing treatment. Good histological response to preoperative chemotherapy, distal tumour location (all sites other than proximal humerus/femur) and female gender were associated with improved survival.
Localised osteosarcoma will be cured in 50% of patients with cisplatin and doxorubicin. Large randomised trials can be conducted in this rare cancer. Failure to improve survival over 20 years argues for concerted collaborative international efforts to identify and rapidly test new treatments.
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of local recurrence on survival in primary osteosarcoma. 559 patients entered into two randomised trials of the European Osteosarcoma Intergroup who ...received surgery for primary operable high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremities were included in this analysis. Proportional hazards modelling techniques were used to assess the relative importance of sex, age, site, surgery performed and local recurrence. The last of these was considered as a time-dependent covariate. 42/559 (8%) patients had a local recurrence. In the multivariate analysis, local recurrence was found to greatly increase the risk of death (hazard ratio (HR)=5.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.51–7.41). Site and surgery performed also had a significant influence within this model. Using the technique of landmark analysis, with the landmark time set at 18 months, local recurrence alone had a significant influence on survival (HR=4.60, 95% CI 2.80–7.57). Local recurrence is an indicator of poorer survival for patients with operable primary osteosarcoma.
A previous trial by the European Osteosarcoma Intergroup (EOI) suggested that a short intensive chemotherapy regimen with doxorubicin and cisplatin might produce survival of operable, non-metastatic ...osteosarcoma similar to that obtained with complex and longer-duration drug regimens based on the widely used T10 multi-drug protocol. We undertook a randomised multicentre trial to compare these two approaches.
407 patients with operable, non-metastatic osteosarcoma were randomly assigned the two-drug regimen (six cycles 18 weeks of doxorubicin 25 mg/m
2
on days 1–3 and cisplatin 100 mg/m
2
on day 1) or a multi-drug regimen (preoperatively vincristine, high-dose methotrexate, and doxorubicin; postoperatively bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, dactinomycin, vincristine, methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin; this protocol took 44 weeks). Surgery was scheduled for week 9 for the two-drug group and week 7 for the multi-drug group. Analyses of survival and progression-free survival were by intention to treat.
Of 407 randomised patients, 391 were eligible and have been followed up for at least 4 years (median 5–6 years). Toxic effects were qualitatively similar with the two regimens. However, 188 (94%) of 199 patients completed the six cycles of two-drug treatment, whereas only 97 (51%) of 192 completed 18 or more of the 20 cycles of the multi-drug regimen. The proportion showing a good histopathological response (>90% tumour necrosis) to preoperative chemotherapy was about 29% with both regimens and was strongly predictive of survival. Overall survival was 65% at 3 years and 55% at 5 years in both groups (hazard ratio 0·94 95% Cl 0·69–1·27). Progression-free survival at 5 years was 44% in both groups (hazard ratio 1·01 0·77–1·33).
We found no difference in survival between the two-drug and multi-drug regimens in operable, non-metastatic osteosarcoma. The two-drug regimen is shorter in duration and better tolerated, and is therefore the preferred treatment. However, 5-year survival is still unsatisfactory and new approaches to treatment, such as dose intensification, are needed to improve results.
Purpose: To compare the efficacy and toxicity of two hypofractionated radiotherapy schedules for the improvement of local symptoms from muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
Methods and Materials: A ...multicenter randomized trial was conducted comparing the efficacy and toxicity of two radiotherapy schedules (35 Gy in 10 fractions and 21 Gy in 3 fractions) for symptomatic improvement in patients considered unsuitable for curative treatment through disease stage or comorbidity. The primary outcome measures were overall symptomatic improvement of bladder-related symptoms at 3 months and changes in bladder- and bowel-related symptoms from pretreatment to end-of-treatment and 3-month assessments. Overall symptomatic improvement was defined prospectively as the improvement in one bladder-related symptom of at least one grade at 3 months, with no deterioration in any other bladder-related symptom.
Results: Five hundred patients were recruited, but data on symptomatic improvement at 3 months was only available on 272 patients. Of these, 68% achieved symptomatic improvement (71% for 35 Gy, 64% for 21 Gy), with no evidence of a difference in efficacy or toxicity between the two arms. There was no evidence of a difference in survival between the two schedules (hazard ratio HR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.82–1.21,
p = 0.933).
Conclusion: This is the largest prospective trial to date in the palliative treatment of bladder cancer, and provides baseline data against which other results may be compared. The use of 21 Gy in 3 fractions appears as effective as 35 Gy in 10 fractions, although modest differences in survival, symptomatic improvement rates, and toxicity can not be reliably excluded.
There are limited data that define the role of chemotherapy in the treatment of high-grade spindle cell sarcomas of bone, other than osteosarcoma or malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH-B). This ...prospective study evaluates the effect of doxorubicin and cisplatin on these tumours. Thirty-seven patients, age ⩽65 years, with spindle cell sarcoma of bone, except osteosarcoma or MFH-B, were included. Chemotherapy consisted of doxorubicin and cisplatin every 3 weeks for six cycles. Resection was performed after three cycles. In 15 patients with metastases, response assessment showed three complete responses (CR), four stable disease (SD), five progression; three were not evaluable. Median time to progression was 30 months (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 8–51 months) for the operable non-metastatic patients; median survival 41 months (95% CI, 16–82 months). Median time to progression in the metastatic group was 10 months (95% CI, 0–18 months) and median survival was 14 months (95% CI, 4–45 months). This study suggests a limited role for doxorubicin and cisplatin in metastatic high-grade spindle cell sarcoma of bone, other than osteosarcoma or MFH-B cases.
Abstract Aims To assess the activity of a continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil in patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract. Materials ...and methods Eight centres within the UK entered 50 patients into the study. Twenty-four weeks of continuously infused 5-fluorouracil, 300 mg/m2 /day through a mini-pump, were planned. The primary outcome was tumour response at 8 weeks after the start of treatment. Results The median age of the patients was 68 years and 37 (80.4%) had a World Health Organization performance status of 0 or 1. The overall response rate at 8 weeks, according to the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) criteria in 46 evaluable patients, was 15% (95% confidence interval 5–26%) and 20% (95% confidence interval 8–31%) when assessments at all time points were included. The median progression-free survival was 1.9 months (95% confidence interval 1.8–2.7 months) and the median overall survival was 6.5 months (95% confidence interval 4.1–8.5 months). The most frequent grade 3/4 toxicities were mucositis and diarrhoea (each in 6.5% of patients) and nausea/vomiting and hand–foot syndrome (each in 4.3% of patients). Conclusions Continuous infusional 5-fluorouracil has activity in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract. Prolonged fluoropyrimidine administration may be a useful component of future combination regimens for this disease, particularly in patients with poor renal function.
Background: Despite advances in the treatment of primary limb osteosarcoma, the outcome of patients with primary metastatic and axial skeletal disease remains poor. The European Osteosarcoma ...Intergroup have assessed a combination chemotherapy regimen consisting of ifosfamide (IFOS) 3 g/m2/dl−2, doxorubicin (DOX) 25 mg/m2/dl−3 i.v. bolus and cisplatin (CDDP) 100 mg/m2/dl. Patients and methods: One hundred nine previously untreated patients with primary osteosarcoma were registered. Eligibility was confirmed in 103. At presentation, 45 eligible patients had metastatic disease, 15 axial skeletal primary tumours and 43 non-metastatic limb tumours. Results: The major toxicities were myelosuppression (90%, grade 3 or 4) and nausea and vomiting (74%, grade 3 or 4). Overall mean relative dose intensity (RDI) was 80% (88% CDDP, 75% IFOS, 81% DOX). Clinical response as measured by reduction in tumour volume occurred in 36% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 27%–47%) of primary tumours. Response of pulmonary metastases to chemotherapy was seen in 33% (95% CI: 19%–49%). Good histological response (≥90% necrosis of the tumour) occurred in 33% (95% CI: 22%-45%) of resected tumours. Five-year survival was 62% in limb-non-metastatic, 41% in axial skeletal and 16% in limb metastatic patients. Conclusions: This regimen is active in osteosarcoma but does not appear to be more active than the two-drug CDDP-DOX regimen currently recommended by EOI.
A randomized pilot study was undertaken to assess the acute and chronic toxicities of two short intensive chemotherapy regimens, and to evaluate the feasibility of conservative surgery in this ...setting. Additional aims were to determine the clinical and radiologic response and the degree of histologic necrosis after chemotherapy. With extension of the study, eventual accrual was sufficient to compare disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).
Between July 1983 and December 1986, the European Osteosarcoma Intergroup (EOI) entered 198 eligible patients with classic high-grade extremity osteosarcoma onto a randomized trial that compared doxorubicin (DOX) 25 mg/m2/d times three, intravenous (IV) bolus plus cisplatin (CDDP) 100 mg/m2, 24 hour infusion, every 3 weeks times six; the same combination was preceded 10 days earlier by high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) 8 g/m2, 6-hour infusion, every 4.5 weeks times four. In the majority of patients (179), chemotherapy was commenced after biopsy; definitive surgery was scheduled at 9 weeks in both groups.
Toxicities for both regimens did not differ substantially from those that occurred in other trials of adjuvant chemotherapy in osteosarcoma. Local recurrence (9%) and surgical complications (18%) after conservative surgery were acceptable. With a median follow-up of 53 months, DFS at 5 years is superior (P = .02) for DOX/CDDP, 57% versus 41%, although OS, 64% versus 50%, is not different significantly (P = .10). In a subset of 66 patients for whom pathologic data on the resected specimen were available, DFS (P = .003) and OS (P = .008) were better for those who demonstrated > or = 90% necrosis.
A brief intensive chemotherapy regimen of DOX/CDDP has produced excellent long-term results, which are similar to those that have been achieved in cooperative group studies of longer, more complex multiagent chemotherapy, and provide the basis for a direct comparison in the next EOI study.
Previously, we have shown that the combination of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (CAP) and singleagent carboplatin produce similar survival and progression-free survival rates in women ...with ovarian cancer. Subsequently, paclitaxel combined with platinum has become a widely accepted treatment for the disease. We aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of paclitaxel plus carboplatin with a control of either CAP or carboplatin alone.
Between February, 1995, and October, 1998, we enrolled 2074 patients from 130 centres in eight countries. Women were randomly assigned paclitaxel plus carboplatin or control, the control (CAP or single-agent carboplatin) being chosen by the patient and clinician before randomisation. The primary outcome measure was overall survival. Secondary outcomes were progression-free survival and toxicity. Analysis was by intention to treat.
With a median follow-up of 51 months, 1265 patients had died, and survival curves showed no evidence of a difference in overall survival between paclitaxel plus carboplatin and control (hazard ratio 0·98, 95% CI 0·87–1·10, p=0·74). The median overall survival was 36·1 months on paclitaxel plus carboplatin and 35·4 months on control (difference 0·7 months, 95% CI −3·6 to 4·7). 1538 patients had progressive disease or died, and again, Kaplan-Meier curves showed no evidence of a difference between the groups (hazard ratio 0·93, 95% CI 0·84–1·03, p=0·16). Median progression-free survival was 17·3 months on paclitaxel plus carboplatin and 16·1 months on control (difference 1·2 months, 95% CI −0·5 to 2·8). Paclitaxel plus carboplatin caused more alopecia, fever, and sensory neuropathy than carboplatin alone, and more sensory neuropathy than CAP. CAP was associated with more fever than paclitaxel plus carboplatin.
Single-agent carboplatin and CAP are as effective as paclitaxel plus carboplatin as first-line treatment for women requiring chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. The favourable toxicity profile of single-agent carboplatin suggests that this drug is a reasonable option as first-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
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