Localized High-Risk Soft Tissue Sarcomas Of The Extremities And Trunk Wall In Adults: An Integrating Approach Comprising Standard Vs Histotype-Tailored Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

November 17, 2025 updated by: Italian Sarcoma Group

This is a randomized Phase III clinical trial in the setting of localized high-risk soft tissue sarcomas (STS). This study will compare a standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin plus ifosfamide versus a histology-driven chemotherapy, i.e. a chemotherapy tailored to the specific histology within the family of adult STS. Chemotherapy will be administered for 3 cycles. There will be five histological groups (representing 80% of STS), as follows: leiomyosarcoma, myxoid liposarcoma with hypercellularity (round cell MLPS), synovial sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. The histology-driven chemotherapy for these groups will be, respectively, gemcitabine plus dacarbazine, trabectedin, high-dose ifosfamide, ifosfamide plus etoposide, gemcitabine plus docetaxel. Other histological groups will also be included and registered, but treated only by standard chemotherapy. Patients who have already undergone definitive surgery will receive treatment post-operatively and patients needing a re-excision after inadequate surgery will be treated as patients in the two groups, but of course will not be evaluable for response. A centralized pathological review will be performed. Radiological response will be evaluated according to RECIST and to Choi criteria. Pathological response will also be recorded.

The endpoint will be disease-free survival (DFS) and, secondarily, overall survival (OS) of patients receiving standard chemotherapy versus those receiving histotype-tailored chemotherapy. Additional aims will be to compare the probability of response of standard vs histotype-tailored chemotherapy and to determine the radiological and pathological response with standard chemotherapy vs tailored chemotherapy in each different histological group. Another aim will be to validate the response (both radiological and pathological) to preoperative chemotherapy as a surrogate endpoint for DFS and OS.

Three hundred patients will be randomized over a 3-years period, from a pool of 400-450 registered patients.

Translational research will be performed. Areas of research will include identification and validation of the potential predictive markers for each histological subgroups.

The study is designed to verify the statistical hypothesis that histotype-tailored approach is associated, overall, with a 30% reduction in the hazard of relapse. However, in each different histological group, the effect of histotype-tailored chemotherapy, as compared to standard chemotherapy, can be different. To address this weakness an orthogonal study of response to chemotherapy as a surrogate of DFS and OS has been introduced into the trial. This study intends to extensively investigate the response (radiological and pathological) to preoperative chemotherapy and to validate it as a surrogate endpoint by showing that it correlates with disease free survival and overall survival.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
550

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Italy
      • Aviano (PN), Italy
        • Irccs Centro Di Riferimento Oncologico (Cro) -
      • Bologna, Italy
        • Irccs Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli (Ior) -
      • Brescia, Italy
        • Pres.Ospedal.Spedali Civili Brescia -
      • Meldola (FC), Italy
        • Irst - Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo Per Lo Studio E La Cura Dei Tumori -
      • Milan, Italy
        • Irccs Istituto Europeo Di Oncologia (Ieo) -
      • Milan, Italy
        • Irccs Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori (Int)
      • Napoli, Italy
        • Irccs Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione Pascale -
      • Padua, Italy
        • IRCCS Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOV)
      • Roma, Italy
        • IRCCS Istituto Regina Elena (IFO)
      • Rozzano (MI), Italy
        • Irccs Istituto Clinico Humanitas -
      • Torino, Italy
        • Presidio Sanitario Gradenigo Di Torino
    • TO
      • Candiolo, TO, Italy
        • Fondazione Del Piemonte Per L'Oncologia Ircc Di Candiolo -
  • Spain
      • Barcelona, Spain
        • Hospital Vall d'Hebron
      • Málaga, Spain
        • Hospital Clínico de Malaga
      • Palma de Mallorca, Spain
        • Hospital Son Espases

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Soft tissue sarcoma of adults, primary or locally recurrent, with spindle-cell or pleomorphic histology, belonging to one of the following for the randomization (Group1):

    myxoid-Round Cell liposarcoma (cellular component >5 %), leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheat tumor, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (ex Malignant fibrous histiocytoma)

    Or belonging to one of the following for the registration (Group 2):

    myxofibrosarcoma, unclassified Spindle Cell, pleomorphic liposarcoma, pleomorphic rabdomiosarcoma Or belonging to either group but not being evaluable for response (re-excision after previous inadequate resection or primary definitive surgery) (Group3).

    The histological diagnosis must be made according to the WHO criteria and will have to be centrally reviewed before randomization.

  2. High malignancy grade: grade 3 of 3, according to Coindre, or grade 2 at biopsy with a radiological evidence of more than 50% of necrosis in the tumor mass.
  3. Deep seated extremities, girdles and/or superficial trunk (thoracic or abdominal wall)lesion.
  4. Size of primary tumor (visible or previously inadequately resected) >5 cm at instrumental staging (CT, MRI), or locally recurrent of any size.
  5. Age > 18 years.
  6. ECOG performance status <1.

  7. Adequate bone marrow function:

    WBC >3.500/mm3 neutrophil >1.500/mm3 platelets >150.000/mm3 hemoglobin >11 g%.

  8. Adequate renal (creatinine <1.3 mg%), and hepatic function (bilirubin <1.5 mg% and transaminases <2 x n.v. If ALP > 2.5 x ULN, ALP LF and/or GGT < ULN).
  9. Adequate cardiac function (FE >50%).
  10. Signed informed consent.
  11. Complete compliance of the participating center with the protocol requirements.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Pregnancy or lactation.
  2. Distant metastasis.
  3. Other malignancies within past 5 years, with the exception of carcinoma in situ of cervix and basocellular skin cancers treated with eradicating intent.
  4. Sarcoma histotypes other than those mentioned in the inclusion criteria.
  5. Prior CT and/or RT.
  6. Serious psychiatric disease that precludes informed consent or limits compliance.
  7. Medical disease limiting survival to less than two years, limiting compliance or which in the physician's opinion might interfere significantly with the toxicity of the treatments.
  8. Cardiovascular diseases resulting in a New York Heart Association Functional Status > 2.
  9. Uncontrolled bacterial, viral or fungal infection.
  10. Impossibility of ensuring adequate follow-up.
  11. Failure to comply with the requirements of the present protocol leading to exclusion of the participating center.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: standard chemotherapy with full-dose epirubicin + ifosfamide
Standard arm foresees 3 cycles of preoperative chemotherapy, each cycle will be repeated every 21 days and includes: epirubicin 60 mg/m2/day, short infusion, days 1 and 2; ifosfamide 3 g/m2/day, days 1, 2, 3
Drug: epirubicin 60 mg/m2/day (days 1, 2) and ifosfamide 3 g/m2/day (days 1, 2, 3)
Experimental: histotype-tailored chemotherapy according to the histotype
gemcitabine+docetaxel for undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, trabectedin for myxoid liposarcoma with hypercellularity, ifosfamide for synovial sarcoma, ifosfamide+etoposide for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, gemcitabine+dacarbazine for leiomyosarcoma
Drug: gemcitabine 900 mg/m2 (days 1 and 8) and docetaxel 75 mg/m2 (day 8)
Drug: trabectedin 1.3 mg/m2
Drug: high-dose ifosfamide 14 g/m2, given in in 14 days
Drug: etoposide 150 mg/m2/day (days 1, 2, 3) and ifosfamide 3g/m2/day (days 1, 2, 3)
Drug: gemcitabine 1800 mg/m2 (day 1) and dacarbazine 500 mg/m2 (day 1)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
To compare the effect on disease-free survival of full-dose standard chemotherapy with histotype-tailored chemotherapy within the context of an integrated strategy for high risk soft tissue sarcomas typical of the adult.
Time Frame: 5 years
5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
1:overall survival 2:response in the whole population 3:response by RECIST and Choi in each different histotype 4:pathological response 5:feasibility of integration of preoperative chemotherapy with preoperative local-regional treatments 6:PET re
Time Frame: 5 years
5 years

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
To validate the response to preoperative chemotherapy (both radiological and pathological) as a surrogate endpoint by showing that disease free survival and overall survival depend on response status and are independent of the treatment arm.
Time Frame: 5 years
5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Italian Sarcoma Group

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
French Sarcoma Group
Grupo Espanol de Investigacion en Sarcomas

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 17, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 18, 2012

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 19, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 18, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 17, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • ISG-STS 10-01

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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