Doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and whole body hyperthermia for treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma

Eleven patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma were treated with whole body hyperthermia (41.8°C–43.0°C) for 2 hours, doxorubicin (45 mg/m²) at the beginning of peak temperature and cyclophosphamide (1000 mg/m²) 6 hours after doxorubicin. Warming was accomplished with a nylon and vinyl mesh water perfused suit and heating blankets under barbiturate anesthesia. Thirty‐five thermochemotherapy treatments were administered after an initial baseline euthermic course. There were two complete and two partial responses including three of three liposarcomas and one of two leiomyosarcomas, and there were two disease stabilizations. Morbidity included anasarca, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, myalgias, mild surface burns, perioral herpes simplex, reversible neuropathy, hypotension, and cardiac arrythmias. Hyperglycemia and hypophosphatemia were found during heating, and normalized at 24 hours. Liver enzyme elevations occurred 24 hours after heating and normalized within 1 week. A uniform platelet decrease (mean, 107,000/μ l) was found at 24 hours. Thermochemotherapy was found to be a feasible approach for selected patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma for the subset of liposarcomas and leiomyosarcomas.