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An open label, non-comparative phase II study of topotecan as salvage treatment for patients with soft tissue sarcoma

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Abstract

Background: The number of effective cytotoxic agents for the treatment of patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is limited, especially when patients have failed anthracyline-based chemotherapy. Patients and methods: Between 1999 and 2000 a total of 16 patients with histologically proven STS progressing during or after first-line anthracycline-based chemotherapy were entered into this open-label, noncomparative study. Topotecan was administered as a 30-min infusion at a dosage of 1.5 mg/m2 on five consecutive days every 3 weeks. All patients had received an anthracycline- or ifosfamide-based first-line chemotherapy. Results: None of the 16 included patients achieved an objective response to topotecan. Six patients achieved stable disease (38%), lasting for at least 6 weeks in four patients (25%) and for less than 6 weeks in two patients (13%). Ten patients (62%) had progressive disease. The median time to progression was 79 days calculated from the start of topotecan therapy (range, 28–230). The treatment was well tolerated; however, both anemia and thrombopenia grade III/IV occurred in 25% of the patients as well as severe neutropenia in 69% of the patients. Nonhematologic toxicities grade III/IV such as diarrhea and severe bleeding occurred only in one patient each (6%). Discussion: Topotecan is well tolerated in anthracycline-resistant patients with metastatic STS, but no objective response has been observed in this trial.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Klinik m. S. Hämatologie, Onkologie und Tumorimmunologie, Robert-Roessle-Klinik, Helios-Klinikum Berlin, Universitätsklinikum Charitée, Berlin, Germany

    Peter Reichardt & Daniel Pink

  2. Medizinische Klinik II, Universitätsklinikum, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany

    Karin Oechsle, Carsten Bokemeyer, Lothar Kanz & Jörg Thomas Hartmann

  3. Medizinische Klinik III, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany

    F. Schneller

  4. Medizinische Klinik III, LMU Grosshadern und GSF-Institut für Molekulare Immunologie, KKG HT, Munich, Germany

    Rolf Issels

Authors
  1. Peter Reichardt
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  2. Karin Oechsle
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  4. Carsten Bokemeyer
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  5. F. Schneller
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  7. Lothar Kanz
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  8. Jörg Thomas Hartmann
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Reichardt, P., Oechsle, K., Pink, D. et al. An open label, non-comparative phase II study of topotecan as salvage treatment for patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Invest New Drugs 21, 481–486 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026263604863

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