We treated 42 patients with advanced and recurrent sarcomas, 15 osteosarcomas, 2 Ewing's sarcomas and 25 soft tissue sarcomas. In osteosarcoma three trials were done. Only HDMTX, CDDP and IFS combination therapy was effective in three cases. Partial responses were achieved in all five cases with round cell sarcomas (2 bone and 3 soft tissue tumors) but only one achieved a prolonged disease free survival. In patients with recurrent soft tissue sarcoma, several trials of moderate dose chemotherapy were done but none of these achieved high clinical responses and long-term disease free survival.
There is an urgent need for innovative strategies to improve the prognosis in advanced-stage patients with sarcoma. Only IFS combination therapy with first line drugs offers a therapeutic advantage over the single usage of IFS.