Recurrent Synovial Sarcoma with Breast and Pulmonary Nodule: A Case Report.

Synovial sarcoma is a mesenchymal tumour with partial epithelial differentiation. About 85-90% of SS occur in the extremities. We present a case of a 44-year-old woman diagnosed with recurrent synovial sarcoma with breast and pulmonary nodules. The primary treatment for synovial sarcoma is wide surgical excision, while chemotherapy is reserved for metastatic cases. In the first-line metastatic setting, combination treatment with adriamycin and ifosfamide is administered. Despite the unfavourable prognosis, the patient's extended survival is fortunately not the typical outcome. Keywords: case reports; chemotherapy; immunohistochemistry; synovial sarcoma.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in High-Grade Myxoid Liposarcoma: Results of the Expanded Cohort of a Randomized Trial From Italian (ISG), Spanish (GEIS), French (FSG), and Polish Sarcoma Groups (PSG).

PURPOSE: A randomized trial was conducted to compare neoadjuvant standard (S) anthracycline + ifosfamide (AI) regimen with histology-tailored (HT) regimen in selected localized high-risk soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The results of the trial demonstrated the superiority of S in all STS histologies except for high-grade myxoid liposarcoma (HG-MLPS) where S and HT appeared to be equivalent. To further evaluate the noninferiority of HT compared with S, the HG-MLPS cohort was expanded. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients had localized high-grade (cellular component >5%; size ≥5 cm; deeply seated) MLPS of extremities or trunk wall. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary end point was overall survival (OS). The trial used a noninferiority Bayesian design, wherein HT would be considered not inferior to S if the posterior probability of the true hazard ratio (HR) being >1.25 was <5%. RESULTS: From May 2011 to June 2020, 101 patients with HG-MLPS were randomly assigned, 45 to the HT arm and 56 to the S arm. The median follow-up was 66 months (IQR, 37-89). Median size was 107 mm (IQR, 84-143), 106 mm (IQR, 75-135) in the HT arm and 108 mm (IQR, 86-150) in the S arm. At 60 months, the DFS and OS probabilities were 0.86 and 0.73 (HR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.24 to 1.46]; log-rank P = .26 for DFS) and 0.88 and 0.90 (HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 0.37 to 3.93]; log-rank P = .77 for OS) in the HT and S arms, respectively. The posterior probability of HR being >1.25 for DFS met the Bayesian monitoring cutoff of <5% (4.93%). This result confirmed the noninferiority of trabectedin to AI suggested in the original study cohort. CONCLUSION: Trabectedin may be an alternative to standard AI in HG-MLPS of the extremities or trunk when neoadjuvant treatment is a consideration.

Matched control analysis suggests that R-CHOP followed by (R)-ICE may improve outcome in non-GCB DLBCL compared with R-CHOP.

ABSTRACT: Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is considered the standard-of-care for patients with advanced-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), despite findings that patients with nongerminal center B-cell like (non-GCB) have significantly worse outcome with this regimen. We evaluated the prognostic significance of baseline risk factors, including cell of origin (COO) classified by the Hans algorithm, within an alternative chemoimmunotherapy program. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), 151 patients with DLBCL received sequential R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE (rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) consolidation. Outcome analysis based on COO was validated with a propensity score-matched cohort treated with R-CHOP from the Mayo Clinic component of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER). Among the patients with GCB (n = 69) and non-GCB (n = 69) at MSK, event-free survival (EFS) of non-GCB was superior to that of GCB (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.98). Overall survival (OS) demonstrated an association in the same direction but was not statistically significant (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.33-1.42). Propensity score-matched patients from MSK (n = 108) demonstrated a small attenuation in the HRs for EFS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.27-1.18) and OS (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.33-1.79) and were no longer statistically significant. In contrast, the matched MER cohort (n = 108) demonstrated an EFS association (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.70-1.95) and OS association (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.64-2.00) in the opposite direction, but were also not statistically significant. R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE consolidation may overcome the negative prognostic impact of the non-GCB phenotype, per the Hans algorithm, and can be preferentially selected for this population. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT00039195 and #NCT00712582.

Pleomorphic Liposarcoma Initially Presenting with Multiple Organ Involvement Including the Heart.

A 42-year-old man visited our hospital due to a gradually swelling subcutaneous mass on the back of the right shoulder. The biopsy specimen was diagnosed pathologically as pleomorphic liposarcoma. Systemic computed tomography and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography revealed multiple organ metastases, including involvement of the heart, skin, liver, bone, and lung. Six cycles of doxorubicin plus ifosfamide initially controlled the disease. However, newly developed lung metastases grew rapidly during subsequent cycles of chemotherapy, and the patient died 10 months after the initial diagnosis. The initial presentation of multiple organ involvement, including the heart, is a rare clinical manifestation of pleomorphic liposarcoma.

Prospective validation of an equation based on plasma cystatin C for monitoring the glomerular filtration rate in children treated with cisplatin or ifosfamide for cancer.

We recently proposed an equation to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in children with cancer based on plasma cystatin C and serum creatinine levels together with body weight (the "CysPed equation"). The current clinical study reports a prospective evaluation of this equation in 18 children treated by nephrotoxic chemotherapy. The CysPed equation resulted in less bias and greater precision compared to two equations previously proposed equations by Schwartz, with or without plasma cystatin C. Moreover, the decrease in GFR due to chemotherapy was clearly identified by the CysPed equation. This equation may be used to monitor the renal function in childhood cancer units.

Initial Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced and Metastatic NUT Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: NUT carcinoma (NC) is an underdiagnosed and aggressive poorly differentiated or squamous cell cancer. A subset of NC is sensitive to chemotherapy, but the optimal regimen is unknown. Experts have recommended platinum- and ifosfamide-based therapy based on case reports. METHODS: Patients with pathologically confirmed NC with known survival outcomes after chemotherapy and consented to participate in a worldwide registry were studied. Results were summarized using descriptive methods. RESULTS: The study included 118 patients with NC. Median age was 34 (range: 1-82) years, 39% were women, and 61% harbored a BRD4::NUTM1 fusion. Patients received platinum (74%) or ifosfamide (26%, including regimens with both, 13%). Of 62 patients with nonmetastatic disease, 40% had a thoracic primary. Compared with platinum-based chemotherapy, patients who received ifosfamide-based chemotherapy had nominally higher progression-free survival (12 mo: 59% [95% CI: 32-87] versus 37% [95% CI: 22-52], hazard ratio = 0.68 [0.32, 1.42], p = 0.3) but not overall survival (OS). Among the 56 patients with metastatic disease, 80% had a thoracic primary. Ifosfamide had an objective response rate (ORR) of 75% (six of eight) and platinum had an ORR of 31% (11 of 36). Nevertheless, there was no difference in progression-free survival or OS. The 3-year OS of the entire cohort was 19% (95% CI: 10%-28%). Of the 11 patients alive greater than 3 years, all presented with nonmetastatic and operable or resectable disease. CONCLUSION: There is a numerically higher ORR for ifosfamide-based therapy compared with platinum-based therapy, with limited durability. OS at 3 years is only 19%, and development of effective therapies is an urgent unmet need for this patient population.

A 51-Year-Old Woman with Advanced Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Stage 3b Chronic Kidney Disease Treated with Cytoreductive Surgery and Bidirectional Intraperitoneal Cisplatin and Ifosfamide Chemotherapy: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Malignant mesotheliomas are rare, yet highly malignant tumors. Mesotheliomas are tumors that develop from mesothelial surfaces, with the pleura being the most common, followed by the peritoneum. The diagnosis of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is usually established when the disease is advanced, owing to the nonspecific clinical appearance and abdominal symptoms. Initially, MPM was treated with palliative systemic chemotherapy, with or without palliative surgery. However, cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with bidirectional intraoperative chemotherapy (BDIC) has recently emerged as a treatment option for MPM. BDIC creates a bidirectional chemotherapy gradient in the peritoneal tumor cells through the simultaneous use of intraperitoneal and intravenous chemotherapy. CRS, combined with BDIC (CRS-BDIC), allows the complete elimination of residual tiny tumor cells after complete removal of the visible tumor nodules. CASE REPORT Herein, we present a case of a 51-year-old woman with MPM and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3b. Her treatment consisted of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy, followed by CRS-BDIC using intraperitoneal cisplatin and doxorubicin, and intravenous ifosfamide. The surgery was successful, with no immediate complications or decline in the patient's kidney function. On follow up 2 months later, the patient denies suffering any chemotherapy-related adverse effects, and her kidney profile remains stable. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, nephrotoxicity, a known adverse effect of cisplatin and ifosfamide, might not be a contraindication for the use of these potentially nephrotoxic drugs in CRS-BDIC in patients with renal impairment.

Efficacy of second and third lines of treatment in advanced soft tissue sarcomas: a real-world study

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are an uncommon and heterogeneous group of tumours. Several drugs and combinations have been used in clinical practice as second-line (2L) and third-line (3L) treatment. The growth modulation index (GMI) has previously been used as an exploratory efficacy endpoint of drug activity and represents an intra-patient comparison. Methods We performed a real-world retrospective study including all patients with advanced STS who had received at least 2 different lines of treatment for advanced disease between 2010 and 2020 at a single institution. The objective was to study the efficacy of both 2L and 3L treatments, analysing the time to progression (TTP) and the GMI (defined as the ratio of TTP between 2 consecutive lines of therapy). Results Eighty-one patients were included. The median TTP after 2L and 3L treatment was 3.16 and 3.06 months, and the median GMI was 0.81 and 0.74, respectively. The regimens most frequently used in both treatments were trabectedin, gemcitabine-dacarbazine, gemcitabine-docetaxel, pazopanib and ifosfamide. The median TTP by each of these regimens was 2.80, 2.23, 2.83, 4.10, and 5.00 months, and the median GMI was 0.78, 0.73, 0.67, 1.08, and 0.94, respectively. In terms of histotype, we highlight the activity (GMI > 1.33) of gemcitabine-dacarbazine in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) and in leiomyosarcoma, pazopanib in UPS, and ifosfamide in synovial sarcoma. Conclusions In our cohort, regimens commonly used after first-line STS treatment showed only slight differences in efficacy, although we found significant activity of specific regimens by histotype (AU)

Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Carfilzomib in Combination with Rituximab, Ifosfamide, Carboplatin, and Etoposide in Adult Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: In patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), salvage chemotherapy regimens (e.g., rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide, R-ICE) yield poor outcomes. Carfilzomib, an irreversible proteasome inhibitor, can overcome acquired rituximab-chemotherapy resistance and, when combined with R-ICE, improves outcomes in patients with R/R DLBCL. OBJECTIVE: This analysis aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model for carfilzomib in R/R DLBCL patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a single-center, open-label, prospective phase 1 study, patients received carfilzomib (10, 15, or 20 mg/m2) on days 1, 2, 8, and 9, and standard doses of R-ICE on days 3-6 every 21 days (maximum of three cycles). Carfilzomib plasma concentrations up to 24 h postinfusion were measured by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Proteasome activity (PD biomarker) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was assessed on days 1-2 with sparse sampling. PK/PD models were developed using NONMEM v7.4.1 interfaced with Finch Studio v1.1.0 and PsN v4.7.0. Model selection was guided by objective function value, goodness-of-fit, and visual predictive checks. Stepwise covariate modeling was used for covariate selection. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the PK/PD analysis, from whom 217 PK samples and 127 PD samples were included. Carfilzomib PK was best described by a two-compartment model with linear disposition (typical total clearance of 133 L/h). Proteasome activity was best characterized using a turnover model with irreversible inactivation. All parameters were estimated with good precision. No statistically significant covariates were identified. CONCLUSIONS: A validated population-based PK/PD model of carfilzomib was developed successfully. Further research is needed to identify sources of variability in response to treatment with carfilzomib in combination with R-ICE. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier number NCT01959698.

[Advanced Bladder Cancer with Multiple Pulmonary Metastases Treated with Paclitaxel/Ifosfamide/Nedaplatin Therapy : Two Case Reports].

The standard treatment for advanced urothelial carcinoma includes platinum-based chemotherapy and programmed cell death protein 1 or programmed death ligand 1 inhibitors. However, urothelial carcinomas are often associated with both intrinsic and acquired resistance to these treatments. Paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and nedaplatin (TIN) chemotherapy has been proven to be effective as the second- or third-line treatment for platinum-resistant advanced urothelial cancer. Herein, we report two cases of patients with advanced bladder cancer resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy or pembrolizumab, who were treated with TIN chemotherapy. The first case was in a 66-year-old woman treated with gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) chemotherapy followed by gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and cisplatin chemotherapy for multiple pulmonary metastases after radical cystectomy. Following reduction in pulmonary metastases after six courses of TIN treatment, metastasectomy and two courses of adjuvant TIN treatment were administered, with no recurrence for eight years. The other case was in a 70-year-old man treated with GC chemotherapy and pembrolizumab for invasive bladder cancer and multiple pulmonary metastases. We treated this patient with salvage pelvic exenteration. Pulmonary metastases significantly decreased after six courses of TIN chemotherapy. After a partial response for seven months; the patient died due to a novel cerebellar metastasis after six courses of TIN chemotherapy. Thus, we conclude that TIN chemotherapy can be considered as a third line treatment for advanced urothelial cancer resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy and pembrolizumab.

Perspectives of Cell Sensitivity/Resistance Assay in Soft Tissue Sarcomas Chemotherapy.

Treatment of highly malignant soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) requires multicomponent therapy including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Despite the advancements in targeted cancer therapies, cytostatic drug combinations remain the gold standard for STS chemotherapy. The lack of algorithms for personalized selection of STS chemotherapy leads to unhelpful treatment of chemoresistant tumors, causing severe side effects in patients. The goal of our study is to assess the applicability of in vitro chemosensitivity/resistance assays (CSRAs) in predicting STS chemoresistance. Primary cell cultures were obtained from 148 surgery samples using enzymatic and mechanical disaggregation. CSRA was performed using resazurin-based metabolic activity measurement in cells cultured with doxorubicin, ifosfamide, their combination and docetaxel, gemcitabine, and also their combination for 7 days. Both the clinical data of patients and the CSRA results demonstrated a higher resistance of some cancer histotypes to specific drugs and their combinations. The correlation between the CSRA results for doxorubicin and ifosfamide and clinical responses to the combination chemotherapy with these drugs was demonstrated via Spearman rank order correlation. Statistically significant differences in recurrence-free survival were also shown for the groups of patients formed, according to the CSRA results. Thus, CSRAs may help both practicing physicians to avoid harmful and useless treatment, and researchers to study new resistance markers and to develop new STS drugs.

Novel Strategy Involving High-Dose Chemotherapy with Stem Cell Rescue Followed by Intrathecal Topotecan Maintenance Therapy without Whole-Brain Irradiation for Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors.

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is a rare aggressive central nervous system tumor that typically affects children under three years old and has poor survival with a high risk for neurologic deficits. The primary purpose of this study was to successfully treat the disease and delay or avoid whole-brain radiotherapy for children with AT/RT. A retrospective analysis was performed for six children diagnosed with AT/RT and treated with multimodal treatment at a single institute between 2014 and 2020. Furthermore, germline SMARCB1 aberrations and MGMT methylation status of the tumors were analyzed. One patient who did not receive a modified IRS-III regimen replaced with ifosphamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE) in induction chemotherapy was excluded from this analysis. Five patients who received ICE therapy were under three years old. After a surgical approach, they received intensive chemotherapy and high-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (HDCT/autoPBSCT) followed by intrathecal topotecan maintenance therapy. Three patients underwent single HDCT/autoPBSCT, and the other two received sequential treatment. Two patients with germline SMARCB1 aberrations and metastases died of progressive AT/RT or therapy-related malignancy, while 3 with localized tumors without germline SMARCB1 aberrations remained alive. One survivor received local radiotherapy only, while the other two did not undergo radiotherapy. All three surviving patients were able to avoid whole-brain radiotherapy. Our results suggest that AT/RT patients with localized tumors without germline SMARCB1 aberrations can be rescued with multimodal therapy, including induction therapy containing ICE followed by HDCT/autoPBSCT and intrathecal topotecan maintenance therapy without radiotherapy. Further large-scale studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.

Outcomes After Preoperative Chemoradiation With or Without Pazopanib in Non-Rhabdomyosarcoma Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Report From Children's Oncology Group and NRG Oncology.

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.ARST1321 was a phase II study designed to compare the near complete pathologic response rate after preoperative chemoradiation with/without pazopanib in children and adults with intermediate-/high-risk chemotherapy-sensitive body wall/extremity non-Rhabdomyosarcoma Soft Tissue Sarcoma (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02180867). Enrollment was stopped early following a predetermined interim analysis that found the rate of near complete pathologic response to be significantly greater with the addition of pazopanib. As a planned secondary aim of the study, the outcome data for this cohort were analyzed. Eight-five eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive (regimen A) or not receive (regimen B) pazopanib in combination with ifosfamide and doxorubicin + preoperative radiotherapy followed by primary resection at week 13 and then further chemotherapy at week 25. As of December 31, 2021, at a median survivor follow-up of 3.3 years (range, 0.1-5.8 years), the 3-year event-free survival for all patients in the intent-to-treat analysis was 52.5% (95% CI, 34.8 to 70.2) for regimen A and 50.6% (95% CI, 32 to 69.2) for regimen B (P = .8677, log-rank test); the 3-year overall survival was 75.7% (95% CI, 59.7 to 91.7) for regimen A and 65.4% (95% CI, 48.1 to 82.7) for regimen B (P = .1919, log-rank test). Although the rate of near complete pathologic response was significantly greater with the addition of pazopanib, outcomes were not statistically significantly different between the two regimens.

Total Neoadjuvant vs. Standard Perioperative Cisplatin/ Doxorubicin Chemotherapy in Patients with Extremities Osteosarcoma: A Multi-Center Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Despite improvements in survival of patients with high-grade osteosarcoma after the implementation of perioperative chemotherapy, osteosarcoma remains among the most lethal cancers. Prescription of all chemotherapy courses before the surgery may provide this opportunity to eliminate micrometastases more efficiently, increase the chances of pathologic complete response and organ preserving surgery. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of total neoadjuvant chemotherapy vs. standard perioperative chemotherapy with cisplatin/doxorubicin regimen in patients with extremities osteosarcoma. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort, all patients with high-grade osteosarcoma admitted to oncologic centers affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran from 2015 to 2021 were included. Organ preserving rates, pathologic responses, and survival of patients who received all six courses of cisplatin/doxorubicin regimen preoperatively were compared to those who received the regimen perioperatively. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were enrolled (total neoadjuvant chemotherapy: 32 patients and perioperative chemotherapy: 31 patients). In total neoadjuvant chemotherapy and perioperative chemotherapy groups, favorable pathology responses (necrosis>90%) were reported in 80.6% and 15.6% of patients, respectively (p<0.001). With a median follow-up of 24 months, mean overall survival of total neoadjuvant chemotherapy and perioperative chemotherapy groups were 21.29 months (95% CI; 19.3-23.27) and 23.46 months (95% CI; 22.7-24.1), respectively (p=0.2). The mean disease-free survival of patients in total neoadjuvant chemotherapy and perioperative chemotherapy groups were 19.54 months (95% CI; 17.0-22.0) and 21.37 months (95% CI; 19.4-23.2), respectively (p=0.2). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that prescription of all courses of doxorubicin/cisplatin chemotherapy prior to surgery can increase favorable pathologic response rates, although this improvement is not translated into overall and disease-free survival benefits.

Hyperthermia in the treatment of high-risk soft tissue sarcomas: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The therapy of high-risk soft tissue sarcomas (STS) remains an interdisciplinary challenge. Regional hyperthermia (RHT) sparked interest as it has been shown to improve overall survival when added to perioperative chemotherapy (CTX). However, questions arise on how RHT should be optimally integrated into current multi-modal therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies written in English and focused mainly on radiative RHT and superficial hyperthermia were evaluated and included. Studies including patients below the age of 18, with metastatic disease or review articles, were excluded. RESULTS: We identified 15 clinical reports from 1990 until July 2022. Three articles combined RHT + CTX, and twelve focused on combined RHT + radiotherapy (RT) or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Most treatments were based on invasive thermometry, and less on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based, noninvasive thermometry for STS of the extremities. Perioperative chemotherapy was used for the combination of RHT and CTX, mostly Ifosfamide-based. The effectiveness of RT appeared to be increased by RHT, especially with two RHT sessions/week. The trimodal simultaneous approach of neoadjuvant RHT and CRT was also feasible. No significant toxicity of RHT was reported. CONCLUSIONS: The gathered data strengthen the beneficial role of RHT in the multimodal setting. Further expert consensus and clinical trials are required to determine the optimal integration of RHT in treating STS.

Efficacy of second and third lines of treatment in advanced soft tissue sarcomas: a real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are an uncommon and heterogeneous group of tumours. Several drugs and combinations have been used in clinical practice as second-line (2L) and third-line (3L) treatment. The growth modulation index (GMI) has previously been used as an exploratory efficacy endpoint of drug activity and represents an intra-patient comparison. METHODS: We performed a real-world retrospective study including all patients with advanced STS who had received at least 2 different lines of treatment for advanced disease between 2010 and 2020 at a single institution. The objective was to study the efficacy of both 2L and 3L treatments, analysing the time to progression (TTP) and the GMI (defined as the ratio of TTP between 2 consecutive lines of therapy). RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were included. The median TTP after 2L and 3L treatment was 3.16 and 3.06 months, and the median GMI was 0.81 and 0.74, respectively. The regimens most frequently used in both treatments were trabectedin, gemcitabine-dacarbazine, gemcitabine-docetaxel, pazopanib and ifosfamide. The median TTP by each of these regimens was 2.80, 2.23, 2.83, 4.10, and 5.00 months, and the median GMI was 0.78, 0.73, 0.67, 1.08, and 0.94, respectively. In terms of histotype, we highlight the activity (GMI > 1.33) of gemcitabine-dacarbazine in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) and in leiomyosarcoma, pazopanib in UPS, and ifosfamide in synovial sarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, regimens commonly used after first-line STS treatment showed only slight differences in efficacy, although we found significant activity of specific regimens by histotype.

Clinical characteristics of primary cutaneous and subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: Given the rarity of cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma, their clinical characteristics remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to analyse the clinical characteristics of patients with cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma and review the treatment strategy. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data of 154 patients with Ewing sarcoma who were treated at our hospital between 2005 and 2019. Amongst these patients, 21 patients with cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma were analysed. As a basic strategy, patients with localized disease received intensive chemotherapy (vincristine-doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide/ifosfamide-etoposide), followed by definitive surgery with or without radiotherapy. In total, 15 patients underwent pre-diagnostic resection with macroscopic residue (seven patients) or non-macroscopic residue (eight patients) before intensive chemotherapy. RESULTS: The median tumour length of the measurable lesions was 3.2 cm, and the ratio of metastasis was significantly lower than the Ewing sarcoma of other anatomical sites (10% vs. 37%, P = 0.013). Despite the pre-diagnostic resection, local recurrence after additional resection and/or adjuvant radiotherapy did not occur in any of the patients with localized disease. Overall survival was significantly higher in patients with cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma than in patients with Ewing sarcoma of other anatomical sites (hazard ratio = 0.33, P = 0.013). The event-free survival rate of cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma was also superior to that of Ewing sarcoma of other anatomical sites (hazard ratio = 0.35, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma may have better prognosis than those with Ewing sarcoma at other anatomical sites. Although pre-diagnostic resection without appropriate investigations is not recommended, local control may be recovered by using a combination of additional resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Population pharmacokinetic analysis reveals no impact of aprepitant on the pharmacokinetics of ifosfamide, 2-dechloroifosfamide, and 3-dechloroifosfamide.

PURPOSE: Several case reports and retrospective series have clearly pointed to the role of aprepitant, an antiemetic drug, in the development of encephalopathy when used with ifosfamide. Described as an inhibitor of several CYP metabolic pathways, aprepitant is suspected of drug-drug-interaction on ifosfamide pharmacokinetics. The pharmacokinetics of ifosfamide and two of its metabolites (2-dechloroifosfamide and 3-dechloroifosfamide) was studied in patients with soft tissue sarcomas to evaluate the impact of aprepitant administration. METHODS: A population pharmacokinetic approach was applied to analyze data obtained in 42 patients at cycle 1 (without aprepitant) and cycle 2 (with aprepitant for 34 of them). RESULTS: A previously published pharmacokinetic model including a time-dependency process well fit the data. Aprepitant had no impact on ifosfamide or its two metabolite pharmacokinetic parameters. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that aprepitant does not lead to a significant modification of ifosfamide metabolization, even though other metabolites such as 4 hydroxyifosfamide and chloroacetaldehyde were not monitored in this study.

Recent Advances in the Management of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (SCNEC) is a rare disease characterized by a higher incidence of lymphatic invasion, metastasis, and recurrence compared to the squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma subtypes. Furthermore, it is prone to early distant metastasis and has a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy has an important role in the management of cervical SCNEC. The effective treatment schemes for early-stage SCNEC are local treatment with radical surgery and systemic chemotherapy. However no standard treatment regimen exists because of a rare disease. We reviewed previous reports to determine whether etoposide/platinum, which is used for histopathologically similar small cell carcinoma of the lung, is an appropriate initial chemotherapy regimen for SCNEC of the cervix. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this review the Cochrane library sources, ClinicalTrials.gov, Web of Silence, PubMed and search engine of Google scholar were searched for all interventional studies, reviews, case reports and meta-analyses published in 1997-2021. RESULTS: Etoposide/platinum (EP) is the most commonly used regimen and paclitaxel/carboplatin is the second most common, used as a part of multimodality therapy for SCNEC of the cervix in most studies. Cisplatin/vincristine/bleomycin, cisplatin/irinotecan, cisplatin/ifosfamide/etoposide were also reported in concurrence with EP; however no clinical trials are dedicated to SCNEC. CONCLUSION: Etoposide and platinum tend to have a better prognosis compared to other regimens used for other subtypes of cervical cancer. For recurrent cervical SCNEC, treatment options for patients are very limited. The application of molecular testing for targeted mutations may suggest potential future therapies that may be useful in this disease.