Recombined humanized endostatin (Endostar) combined with chemotherapy for advanced bone and soft tissue sarcomas in stage IV

// Peipei Xing 1, 2, * , Jin Zhang 1, 2, * , Zhao Yan 2, 3, * , Gang Zhao 4 , Xubin Li 5 , Guowen Wang 1, 2 , Yun Yang 1, 2 , Jun Zhao 1, 2 , Ruwei Xing 1, 2 , Sheng Teng 1, 2 , Yulin Ma 1, 2 , Zhichao Liao 1, 2 , Zhiwu Ren 1, 2 , Chao Zhang 1, 2 , Xiuxin Han 1, 2 , Wei Zhang 6 , Kexin Chen 2, 7 , Ping Wang 2, 8 and Jilong Yang 1, 2 1 Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China 2 National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China 3 Pharmacological Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China 4 Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China 5 Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China 6 Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA 7 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China 8 Department of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jilong Yang, email: yangjilong@tjmuch.com Keywords: sarcoma, endostar, chemotherapy, progression free survival, clinical benefit response Received: June 11, 2016     Accepted: November 12, 2016     Published: November 24, 2016 ABSTRACT Purpose: This retrospective case-series study evaluated efficacy and safety of Endostar combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced bone and soft tissue sarcomas in stage IV. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven patients diagnosed with stage IV bone and soft tissue sarcomas and treated with chemotherapy in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital were reviewed. Of these patients, 23 patients were treated with Endostar plus chemotherapy (designated as combined group), and 24 patients received only chemotherapy (designated as control group). Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit response (CBR) were analyzed to find the difference between these two groups with the purpose to investigate the role of Endostar in metastatic sarcomas. Results: Endostar combined with chemotherapy had significantly increased PFS. In the combined group and control groups, the median PFS (8.6 months versus 4.4 months) and the CBR (47.8% versus 16.7%) showed significant difference ( P = 0.032), while the median overall survival (11.7 months versus 10.6 months, P = 0.658) and the ORR (17.4% versus 8.3%, P = 0.167) showed no significant difference. The common grade 3-4 side effects for both groups were myelosuppression and transient elevation of transaminases. Conclusion: Endostar combined with chemotherapy had significant activity to increase the PFS and improve CBR in patients with advanced sarcomas, with tolerable side effects.