Cardiotoxicity, survival, and dexrazoxane use in patients with soft tissue sarcoma: a Danish population‑based cohort study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2340/1651-226X.2026.45897Keywords:
Cardiotoxicity, Sarcoma, Dexrazoxane, Anthracyclines, DoxorubicinAbstract
Background and purpose: Anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity is a challenge that dexrazoxane may reduce. The aim of this study was to report the overall survival (OS), incidence of cardiotoxicity and dexrazoxane use in a Danish population-based cohort of patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) treated with doxorubicin, olaratumab and dexrazoxane.
Patients/material and methods: We performed a retrospective study of adults (≥18 years) with locally advanced or metastatic STS treated with doxorubicin, olaratumab and dexrazoxane between 2015 and 2019 at Herlev University Hospital (Herlev) and Aarhus University Hospital (Aarhus). Dexrazoxane was administered from cycle 1 at Herlev and from cycle 4 at Aarhus. OS was measured from doxorubicin initiation to death. Cardiotoxicity was defined as a >10 percentage‑point decline in left ventricular ejection fraction to <50% compared with baseline.
Results: In total, 106 patients were included: 71 patients (67%) from Herlev and 35 (33%) from Aarhus. Mean age was 59 years, 59% were female. Median OS was 18 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.0–20.7) and median cumulative doxorubicin dose was 320.7 mg/m² (range: 37.5–605.4). Dexrazoxane was administered to 68 patients (96%) at Herlev and 18 (51%) at Aarhus. Seven patients (7%) developed cardiotoxicity (Herlev n = 4; Aarhus n = 3). Median OS was 19.6 months at Herlev and 14.8 months at Aarhus (p = 0.24). Neutropenic fever occurred in 27 patients (38%) at Herlev and six patients (17%) at Aarhus (p = 0.88).
Interpretation: Doxorubicin with olaratumab and dexrazoxane resulted in a low incidence of cardiotoxicity and OS was consistent with previously reported.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Joanna Vitfell-Rasmussen, Ninna Aggerholm-Pedersen, Christina Brun Knudsen, Kasper Madsen , Lars Fiksen , Niels Junker , Michael Mørk Petersen , Thomas Kümler , Anders Krarup-Hansen , Bodil Elisabeth Engelmann
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