Background & objectives: Clinical study suggests that 72-hour continuous infusion (CIV) of MAID regimen is more effective and achieves longer time of no progression than ADR-based two-drug regimen in advanced soft tissue sarcoma (ASTS) treatment, but has no improvement on the long-term survival. Because of the severe grade 3/4 toxicities as well as treatment-related deaths, the regimen has not been widely applied in ASTS. This study was to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of the modified MAID regimen in ASTS treatment.
Methods: In the modified regimen, adriamycin (ADR) was substituted with tetrahydropyranyl adriamycin (THP-ADR) and the application of ifosfamide (IFO) was modified. All enrolled patients received chemotherapy (IFO 2,000 mg . m(-2), 4h, day 1-3; mesna 1,200 mg . m(-2) at 0, 4 and 8 hours of IFO infusion, day 1-3; THP-ADR 20 mg . m-2 and dacarbazine (DTIC) 333.3 mg . m(-2) were mixed in the same bag or pump, CIV for 3 days). The therapy was repeated every 3 weeks for at least 2 cycles before evaluating the effects and toxicities. The patients received follow-up every 2 months after completing 2 cycles until the study was finished. Life table was used to calculate long-term survival rates and time to progression.
Results: Fifty-four cases of evaluable patients had completed at least 2 cycles of modified MAID chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 42.59%. The toxicities were mild. Grade 3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were 25.93% and 16.17%, respectively. Neutropenia fever was 11.11%. There were no other toxicities, such as hepatic and renal toxicities; no central nervous system toxicity and treatment-related deaths. During 2 year follow-up, time to progression was 7 months, 1- and 2- year survival rates were 61.11% and 36.36%, respectively.
Conclusions: Modified MAID regimen simplifies the application of treatment procedure compared with original regimen, which three drugs have to be CIV simultaneously. Moreover the modified MAID regimen has better survival rates in ASTS, with milder toxicity and better tolerance.