Comparison of two chemotherapy regimens in patients with newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma

The randomized phase 3 EE2012 trial, in ten European countries, compared two chemotherapy regimens for newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma: the European standard regimen (vincristine, ifosfamide, doxorubicine, and etoposide induction; and consolidation using vincristine, actinomycin D, with ifosfamide or cyclophosphamide, or busulfan and melphalan) versus the US standard regimen (vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and etoposide induction, plus ifosfamide and etoposide, and consolidation using vincristine and cyclophosphamide, or vincristine, actinomycin D, and ifosfamide, with busulfan and melphalan). Event-free and overall survival were better with the US regimen, with no excess toxicity. The authors conclude that the US regimen should be standard of care for newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma.