My daughter had 4 chemotherapy treatments and 25 radiation sessions prior to her surgery for an initially very large tumor (over 5 cm.). She is now scheduled for 3 more chemo treatments, which she does not want to do as she feels that her tumor is removed and the cancer is gone. The tumor was removed with clear margins except for an area near the sciatic nerve where there was only a 1 mm. margin. All her scans (PET and CT) have come back negative. Does chemotherapy after surgery have any benefit? We are told that it could remove any microscopic cells that are remaining.
Regarding chemotherapy for MFH, I only had 2 ½ months of neoadjuvant (before surgery) Adriamycin (doxorubicin), to see if the tumor in my left thigh
would be reduced/killed. Upon recision, the surgical pathology only showed less than 20 % necrosis.
Since then, my orthopedic sarcoma surgeon said to me, “Forget any chemo for any more mets that appear”. The present chemo protocol for MFH is Adriamycin and/or Ifosfamide. Sometimes Cisplatin is also used. Mesna is included to minimize side effects.
The side/after effects of chemo is well-known, and can be toxic/dangerous to some people. (it is for me).
My review of the peer-reviewed literature discloses that chemo for MFH is less than 50% effective for most patients, whether taken neoadjuvantly or
adjuvantly.
Sure, doctors want to continue chemo for their patients because they get more money from the pharmaceutical companies, etc.
Stan