PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Van Rijswijk, R. E.N.
AU  - Tognon, G.
AU  - Burger, C. W.
AU  - Baak, J. P.
AU  - Kenemans, P.
AU  - Vermorken, J. B.
TI  - The effect of chemotherapy on the different components of advanced carcinosarcomas (malignant mixed mesodermal tumors) of the female genital tract
AID  - 10.1046/j.1525-1438.1994.04010052.x
DP  - 1994 Jan 01
TA  - International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer
PG  - 52--60
VI  - 4
IP  - 1
4099  - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/4/1/52.short
4100  - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/4/1/52.full
SO  - Int J Gynecol Cancer1994 Jan 01; 4
AB  - The effect of chemotherapy on the different components of uterine and ovarian carcinosarcoma is largely unknown. This report describes six patients with advanced carcinosarcoma, five of whom received 4 cycles of doxorubicin and ifosfamide (AI) directed at the sarcomatous component of the tumor. Responses in these five patients at second-look laparotomy were: one complete response, two partial responses (persistence of only the carcinomatous component), one stable disease, and one progressive disease (both components still present in both cases). Thereafter 4 cycles of a cisplatin-based regimen were scheduled. Response to the cisplatin-containing regimen was only evaluated clinically. The sixth patient (with no macroscopic disease left after initial surgery) received 6 cycles of a cisplatin-based chemotherapy from the onset and was found to be in complete response at relaparotomy. Median progression-free survival for all patients was 15 months and median survival 21 months. A literature survey showed that carcinosarcoma differs from adult soft tissue sarcomas with respect to responsiveness to chemotherapy. Cisplatin and ifosfamide are active as single agents, whereas the response to single-agent doxorubicin seems to be lower. The data suggest, however, that superior response rates and increased survival times are achieved with cisplatin/doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. The sensitivity of carcinosarcoma to cisplatin supports the recent view that carcinosarcoma of the female genital tract is possibly a high grade carcinoma with metaplastic sarcomatous elements.