The trial team found that ifosfamide and doxorubicin was no better than doxorubicin on its own for treating advanced sarcoma.
This was an international phase 3 trial. It was a randomised trial. The 455 people recruited were put into 1 of 2 treatment groups
- 227 had doxorubicin and ifosfamide
- 228 had doxorubicin
The average follow up was just over 4½ years. After the 1st year, 60 out of every 100 people (60%) who had doxorubicin and ifosfamide were alive and 51 out of every 100 people (51%) who had doxorubicin were. The researchers say that the difference between the 2 groups could have happened by chance. So the result was not a statistically significant one.
After the 2nd year, the researchers found no difference between the 2 groups in the number of people who were still alive.
The amount of time it took before their cancer started to grow again was
- Just over 7½ months for those who had doxorubicin and ifosfamide
- Just over 4½ months for those who had doxorubicin
A drop in blood cells was a more common side effect for those who had doxorubicin and ifosfamide.
The trial team concluded that for as far as the length of time people lived doxorubicin and ifosfamide was not better than doxorubicin only to treat advanced sarcoma. They say in situations where the doctor wants to shrink the tumour doxorubicin and ifosfamide may be better than doxorubicin only. Apart from this doxorubicin alone remains the standard treatment for advanced sarcoma.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed ) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.