ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We aimed at investigating outcome of systemic treatments in advanced breast PT. METHODS: All cases of advanced breast PT treated with systemic treatments from 1999 to 2019, in one of the referral sarcoma centers involved in the study, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: 56 female patients were identified. Median age was 52 (range of 25-76) years. Patients received a median number of 2 systemic treatments (range of 1-4). Best responses according to RECIST were 1 (3.7%) CR, 11 (40.7%) PR, 6 (22.2%) SD, 9 (33.3%) PD with anthracyclines plus ifosfamide (AI); 2 (16.7%) PR, 4 (33.3%) SD, 6 (50.0%) PD with anthracycline alone; 3 (18.8%) PR, 4 (25.0%) SD, 9 (56.3%) PD with high-dose ifosfamide given as a continuous infusion (HD-IFX); 3 (20.0%) SD, 12 (80.0%) PD with a gemcitabine-based regimen (with 2 patients not evaluable); 1 (8.3%) PR, 2 (16.7%) SD, 9 (75.0%) PD with trabectedin (with 1 patient not evaluable); 1 (16.7%) PR, 1 (16.7%) SD, 4 (66.7%) PD with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKI). The median PFS were 5.7 (IQR 2.5-9.1) months with AI; 3.2 (IQR 2.2-5.0) months with anthracycline alone; 3.4 (IQR 1.4-6.7) months with HD-IFX; 2.1 (IQR 1.4-5.2) months with gemcitabine-based chemotherapy; 1.8 (IQR 0.7-6.6) months with trabectedin; 3.4 (IQR 3.1-3.8) months with TKI. With a median follow-up of 35.3 (IQR 17.6-66.9) months, OS from the start of first-line systemic treatment was 15.2 (IQR 7.6-39.6) months. CONCLUSION: In this series of advanced PT (to our knowledge, the largest reported so far), AI was associated with a high rate of responses, however, with a median PFS of 5.7 months. Other systemic treatments were poorly active.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Sarcoma , Adult , Aged , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors , Retrospective Studies , Sarcoma/pathologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Angiosarcoma is a highly aggressive soft tissue sarcoma. Responses to anthracyclines plus/minus ifosfamide, and taxanes alone or in combination with gemcitabine are well documented. Very few data are available on gemcitabine as a single agent. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all cases of advanced progressive angiosarcoma treated with gemcitabine as a single agent (1000 mg/m(2) i.v. every week for 3 weeks every 4 weeks), at Istituto Nazionale Tumori and within the Italian Rare Cancers Network from January 2008 to November 2010. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients [mean age: 52 years; radiation therapy (RT)-related: 8] received gemcitabine. Best tumor response by RECIST was as follows: complete response = 2, partial response = 14, stable disease = 2, progressive disease = 7 cases, for an overall response rate (PR + CR) of 68%. Six of eight post-RT angiosarcomas responded to treatment. Median overall survival (OS) was 17 months. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7 months (range 1-40 months). One patient with a locally advanced thyroid angiosarcoma became resectable after 5 months of gemcitabine, with <10% residual viable tumor cells seen on surgical specimen. Overall, gemcitabine was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Gemcitabine is active in both RT- and non-RT-related angiosarcoma, with dimensional and possibly long-lasting responses. A formal phase II study on gemcitabine as a single agent is warranted.
