1. Investigación en Sarcomas GEIS Spanish Sarcoma Research Group
Grupo Español de
Investigación en Sarcomas GEIS
Spanish Sarcoma Research Group
Boca Raton, Fl. November 2005

2. About GEIS
Early in 1994 a group of oncologists expressed their concern for the need to work on a cooperative basis on the medical treatment of soft tissue sarcomas.
Initially, phase II trials in advanced STS looking for activity with new schemes and old drugs.
GEIS Registry for STS was started in Tool for compliance of defined guidelines: http//:
Since December 1997 GEIS has had legal status in the form of a scientific association.

3. Mission and Vision...
Promote clinical and translational research into sarcomas.
Lay down guidelines of action in the diagnosis and treatment that may be of service to all the spanish’s oncologists.
Act as a reference point for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas in our country and work together with other similar groups internationally.
Create a GEIS Group Register of Sarcomas in order to have epidemiological data available that will permit us to know Spain’s actual situation in this field.
Have a Data Centre of our own with a common data base for different studies.

4. ... today 68 centres

5. and...
Recently, some Portuguese centers have been incorporated, and there is also interest of other countries.

6. International collaborative task
PHASE III
LOCALIZED, HIGH-RISK SOFT TISSUE SARCOMAS OF LIMBS AND SUPERFICIAL TRUNK IN ADULTS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH INCLUDING CHEMOTHERAPY FOR THREE OR FIVE COURSES .
Phase III Intergroup Study (EORTC 62024; ISG; FSG; GEIS-10)
Intermediate and high risk localized, completely resected, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) expressing KIT receptor:
A controlled randomized trial on adjuvant Imatinib mesylate (Glivec) versus no further therapy after complete surgery

7. www.grupogeis.org / www.geisgroup.org

8. Lines of Research STUDIES ON HIGH-DOSE (HD) IFOSFAMIDE IN STS:
Clinical Studies Performed
Phase II of HD Ifosfamide in first-line treatment pts RR 38% (Ann Oncol 1998; 9:871)
Phase II of the combination of HD Ifosfamide and Doxorubicin 65 pts RR 40% (ASCO 2000)
Phase II of sequential dose-dense Doxorubicin and Ifosfamide 60 pts RR 38% (Cancer 2004; 100:1498)
Study of Prognostic Factors in pts treated with HD Ifosfamide 156 pts (J Surg Oncol 2004; 88:44)

9. STUDIES ON HIGH-DOSE (HD) IFOSFAMIDE IN STS:
Ongoing Clinical Study
- Phase III Randomized Study of Doxorubicin versus HD Doxorubicin in combination with Ifosfamide in first-line STS
Accrual Start : Expected Accrual 132 pts
1.b AFTER HD IFOSFAMIDE
Activity of doxorubicin after high-dose ifosfamide in adult patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma: A study of the Spanish Group for Research on Sarcomas (GEIS). (Ann Oncol 1998; 9: ).

10. Lines of Research STUDIES ON NEW DRUGS IN STS:
Clinical Studies Performed
CAELYX: Phase II study in second-line STS pts RR 2 EE 12 (Sarcoma, in press)
TEMOZOLOMIDE: Phase II in a 6 week extended schedule in second-line STS pts RR 15% (uterine sarcoma)(Cancer 2005; 104:1706)
GEMCITABINE: Phase I-II of the combination of Doxorubicin and Gemcitabine in first-line STS pts RR 19.5% (ASCO 2003)

11. STUDIES ON NEW DRUGS IN STS:
Ongoing Clinical Studies
LIPOSOMAL DOXORUBICIN in pts older than 65 y. (first-line)
TEMOZOLOMIDE: Phase II in first-line gynecological sarcoma
GEMCITABINE: Phase II randomized of the combination of Gemcitabine and DTIC in second-line STS

12. Lines of Research GIST: CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL STUDIES
Ongoing Clinical Study
- Phase I-II Clinical Study of Imatinib in combination with Doxorubicin in refractory GIST
Translational Study
Study of the Prognostic Value of the KIT mutations in GIST completely resected pts Deletions of codons have Independent poor prognostic value for DFS (J Clin Oncol 2005;23:6190)

13. Lines of Research STS GIST 4. STUDIES IN LOCALIZED DISEASE:
PHASE III
LOCALIZED, HIGH-RISK SOFT TISSUE SARCOMAS OF LIMBS AND SUPERFICIAL TRUNK IN ADULTS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH INCLUDING CHEMOTHERAPY FOR THREE OR FIVE COURSES .
GIST
Phase III Intergroup Study (EORTC 62024; ISG; FSG; GEIS-10)
Intermediate and high risk localized, completely resected, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) expressing KIT receptor:
A controlled randomized trial on adjuvant Imatinib mesylate (Glivec) versus no further therapy after complete surgery

14. New Trends Potentiate traslational research
Promote adequate referral practice of STS patients
Participate with other groups in new strategies for new studies (i.e. Hystologic Subtype Specific Treatment)
Start studies in bone sarcoma patients
...

15. THANK YOU