# First-line chemotherapy for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour versus other soft tissue sarcomas (EORTC pooled analysis)

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-kroep-mpnst-first-line-chemotherapy-ann-oncol-2011/  
OnCo record `paper-kroep-mpnst-first-line-chemotherapy-ann-oncol-2011` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Pooling twelve EORTC trials showed that malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours respond to doxorubicin-ifosfamide about as well as other sarcomas, though survival is shorter, and that NF1-associated tumours may respond less.

## Summary

Retrospective analysis of 175 patients with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour among 2,675 soft tissue sarcoma patients treated with first-line anthracycline-based chemotherapy in EORTC trials.

Response rate was 21 percent in MPNST compared with 22 percent in other sarcomas, with the highest response to doxorubicin-ifosfamide; median overall survival was 48 weeks against 51 weeks, and NF1-associated tumours tended to respond less.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-09-17
- Journal: Annals of Oncology
- Year: 2011
- DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdq338
- Authors: Kroep JR, Ouali M, Gelderblom H, et al.
- Findings: Objective response 21 percent in MPNST vs 22 percent in other sarcomas.; Median overall survival 48 weeks; lower response in NF1-associated MPNST.
- What it means: Doxorubicin-ifosfamide is the standard first-line chemotherapy for advanced MPNST, and the analysis supports treating it like other high-grade sarcomas while recognising its poorer prognosis.
- Caveats: Retrospective pooled analysis across trials spanning decades.

## Sources

- Ann Oncol 2011: https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdq338
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20656792/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST)](https://onco.cc/cancers/malignant-peripheral-nerve-sheath-tumour/)
- journals: [Annals of Oncology](https://onco.cc/journals/annals-of-oncology/)

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