Eribulin as a first-line treatment for soft tissue sarcoma patients with contraindications for doxorubicin

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 1;10(1):20896. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77898-y.

Abstract

Doxorubicin is a first-line therapy for patients with unresectable advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS). However, because of cardiotoxicities, it is not used for patients with cardiac problems. Eribulin has exhibited efficacy for advanced STS in second- or later-line treatments. In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of first-line eribulin therapy for patients with advanced STS unable to receive doxorubicin. Six of 28 patients who received eribulin as any line treatment received eribulin as a first-line treatment. The reasons for avoiding doxorubicin were as follows: cardiac problems for four patients and advanced age for two. Median progression-free survival (PFS) of the patients who received eribulin as first-line and, second or later-line therapy were 9.7 months (95% CI: 1.0-not reached) and 3.9 months (95% CI: 2.7-5.9), which were not significantly different. The reasons for discontinuation of eribulin were disease progression and adverse events (2 fatigue and 1 neuropathy) for three patients each. No treatment-related cardiotoxicity was observed. The findings of this study indicated that eribulin exhibits meaningful efficacy for the patients with contraindications for doxorubicin as a first-line treatment without cardiac adverse events. However, appropriate safety management is necessary because older patients are typically among those intolerable of doxorubicin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Contraindications
  • Doxorubicin / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Furans / adverse effects
  • Furans / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Ketones / adverse effects
  • Ketones / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sarcoma / drug therapy*
  • Sarcoma / surgery
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / surgery
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Furans
  • Ketones
  • Doxorubicin
  • eribulin