A Case Report of Complete Remission of Pulmonary Metastases From Epithelioid Sarcoma to Navelbine Chemotherapy

Abstract

Management of soft tissue sarcomas can be very challenging because they have a high rate of metastasis, especially to the lungs, and respond very poorly to the currently available chemotherapeutic drugs. We present a case of epithelioid sarcoma in which complete remission of pulmonary metastases was observed after treatment with a single agent, navelbine, a vinca alkaloid, and a potential therapeutic agent. The patient has been persistently free of metastases for 4 years since treatment with navelbine. Further studies are warranted to establish the role of navelbine for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma and their metastases.

Gemcitabine and Docetaxel for Epithelioid Sarcoma: Results from a Retrospective, Multi-Institutional Analysis

“…Due to the rarity of the disease, the only data available stem from some case series, case reports and retrospective studies [17,18,19]. …”

“…Until now, no prospective randomized trials have examined the role of systemic chemotherapy, and the value of chemotherapy in this disease is still being questioned [6]. Some case series, case reports and retrospective studies reported on the therapeutic benefit of anthracyclines, ifosfamide or vinorelbine [17,18,19]. There is only one systematic report assessing the role of chemotherapy in the presence of distant metastases [20].…”

Epithelioid Sarcoma—From Genetics to Clinical Practice

“…Evidence supporting the use of cytotoxic drugs other than anthracyclines and gemcitabine is weak and incidental. There is only a case report about a complete remission of pulmonary metastases on treatment with vinorelbine (17–30 mg/m2 every 2–4 weeks) with a durable response of four years [ 97 ] and a case of a patient with a partial response with the duration of treatment of 27.4 months [ 98 ].…”

Epithelioid Sarcoma: Opportunities for Biology-Driven Targeted Therapy

“…A single group reported activity of a regimen combining gemcitabine with docetaxel, but the experience is limited to a small number of patients ( 21 ). The activity of navelbine was raised in a case report and may warrant further investigation ( 22 ). Partial responses are rare.…”