Phase II study of esorubicin in the treatment of patients with advanced sarcoma.

Esorubicin was administered to 12 patients with soft tissue sarcoma, 1 osteosarcoma and 1 desmoid tumor. Seven patients had never received chemotherapy before. Myelotoxicity was the main side effect, leukopenia being more pronounced than thrombocytopenia. No significant nonhematological toxicity occurred. Six patients had no change of median duration of 98 days and 7 patients progressed. The patient suffering from multiple-site lesions of a desmoid tumor obtained a long-lasting partial response. This study does not support further testing of esorubicin in sarcoma patients.