Background: Ewing's sarcomas, osteosarcomas, and rhabdomyosarcomas are significantly more responsive to chemotherapy than other sarcomas. Adjuvant chemotherapy is used routinely based on data from randomized trials. Although a percentage of children with locally advanced or metastatic tumors remain curable, few data exist regarding the tumor's natural history or response and survival in adults.
Methods: This Phase II study evaluated doxorubicin, dacarbazine, ifosfamide, and mesna (MAID) in adults with inoperable or metastatic Ewing's sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, or osteosarcoma.
Results: Between 1987-1991, 81 patients were entered; 69 patients were eligible. One patient died of neutropenic infection. Ten patients (14%) responded completely and 34 patients (49%) had a complete or partial response. Response rates were significantly higher for patients with Ewing's sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma than for those with osteosarcoma (77%, 64%, and 26%, respectively; P < 0.005). Although there were no significant differences in progression free survival by histology, survival for patients with Ewing's sarcoma was significantly longer than for patients with osteosarcoma (P = 0.004.) At the time of last follow-up, 7 patients (10%) were alive without progression: 3 with Ewing's sarcoma, 1 with osteosarcoma, and 3 with rhabdomyosarcoma.
Conclusions: MAID chemotherapy is an active regimen in adults with advanced or metastatic Ewing's sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Although there was no direct comparison with a doxorubicin and cisplatin-based regimen, the response rate and survival in patients with osteosarcoma suggest that doxorubicin and cisplatin-based chemotherapy would remain the accepted initial chemotherapy regimen. For patients with rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma, 10-20% of patients remained disease free at 5 years.