In the phase II TRASTS study reported in JAMA Oncology, Sanfilippo et al found that neoadjuvant trabectedin and radiotherapy did not meet the target objective response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) in patients with myxoid liposarcoma but did exhibit activity...
In an analysis reported in JAMA Oncology, Wang et al found that pathologic complete response (pCR) was associated with improved outcomes among patients with localized soft-tissue sarcoma receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy. The analysis included data from patients from two RTOG...
Researchers have discovered that pathologic complete responses may be associated with improved survival outcomes for patients with localized soft-tissue sarcoma who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy, according to a novel study published by Wang et al in JAMA Oncology. The new...
In an analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Gianni Bisogno, MD, PhD, and colleagues detailed 5-year outcomes among children and adolescents with nonmetastatic rhabdomyosarcoma in the European Pediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group RMS2005 Study. Study Details The RMS2005 study...
The most humbling—and fortunate—experience I’ve had since I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma 13 years ago at the age of 43 was being treated in the pediatric wing of a major cancer center in New York City. It is pretty difficult to feel sorry for yourself when you are sitting next to a 14-year-old...
In a study from the Children’s Oncology Group reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Abbou et al found that measuring circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in intermediate-risk rhabdomyosarcoma was feasible and that the presence of ctDNA prior to treatment was associated with poorer prognosis. As...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by DuBois et al, the Children’s Oncology Group phase III AEWS1221 trial showed no event-free survival benefit with the addition of the anti–insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) monoclonal antibody ganitumab to interval-compressed...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Eric J. Chow, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that the use of dexrazoxane was associated with long-term protection of heart function in childhood cancer survivors who received doxorubicin for their cancer. According to the study investigators,...
In a first-in-human, phase I, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Mrinal M. Gounder, MD, and colleagues identified the dose and schedule for further evaluation of the oral MDM2 inhibitor milademetan in a population of patients with advanced...
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis of KIT exon mutations may help predict which second-line therapy is best for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), according to data presented by Bauer et al during the January ASCO Plenary Series session (Abstract 397784). An...
The adoptive T-cell receptor therapy afamitresgene autoleucel—which targets the MAGE-A4 cancer antigen—achieved clinically significant results for patients with multiple solid tumor types in a phase I clinical trial, according to a novel study published by Hong et al in Nature Medicine. Initial...
In a single-center phase II trial (HYPORT-STS) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Guadagnolo et al found that a hypofractionated 3-week course of preoperative radiotherapy was safe in patients with soft-tissue sarcomas and may serve as an alternative to conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in...
On December 9, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with unresectable or metastatic alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS). Study ML39345 Efficacy was evaluated in Study ML39345...
As reported in The Lancet by Brennan et al, the European phase III EURO EWING 2012 trial found improved event-free survival with a standard U.S. chemotherapy regimen vs a standard European regimen in newly diagnosed patients with Ewing sarcoma. As stated by the investigators, “Internationally, a...
Patients with nonmetastatic soft-tissue sarcoma who need preoperative radiation therapy can safely receive hypofractionated treatment for 3 weeks instead of 5 weeks, with comparable tumor control and no increased risk of major complications in wound healing, according to a new study published by...
In a retrospective cohort study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Veiga et al found that receipt of radiotherapy was the strongest risk factor for development of thoracic soft-tissue sarcomas in U.S. breast cancer survivors; both hypertension and diabetes were significant risk factors for...
In a phase II EORTC Soft-Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Sanfilippo et al found that cabazitaxel showed activity in locally advanced, inoperable, or metastatic dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Study Details In the trial, 38 evaluable patients who had received no more...
In a single-center phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Somaiah et al found that the combination of durvalumab and tremelimumab showed activity in a group of previously treated patients with advanced or metastatic soft-tissue and bone sarcomas of various subtypes. Study Details In the...
In a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Schoot et al provided findings from the European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group MTS 2008 and pooled findings of MTS 2008 with those of the concurrent BERNIE study, both of which evaluated strategies for the treatment of pediatric...
In the French phase III LMS-04 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Pautier et al found that the addition of trabectedin to doxorubicin significantly prolonged progression-free survival as first-line treatment for patients with unresectable or metastatic leiomyosarcoma. Study Details In the...
High-dose ifosfamide extended event-free and overall survival in patients with recurrent or primary refractory Ewing sarcoma compared with other commonly used chemotherapy regimens, according to the results of a randomized trial reported at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting by lead author Martin...
Martin McCabe, PhD, of the University of Manchester, discusses a phase III assessment of chemotherapy for patients with recurrent and primary refractory Ewing sarcoma. The trial, called rEECur, is the first study to provide comparative toxicity and survival data for the four most commonly used chemotherapy regimens in this disease. The analysis showed that high-dose ifosfamide is more effective in prolonging survival than topotecan plus cyclophosphamide (Abstract LBA2).
In a phase II clinical trial, immune checkpoint blockade before surgery was associated with favorable responses and outcomes in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) and recurrent dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS), Keung et al reported at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract LBA11501)....
Use of high-dose ifosfamide was found to be superior for treating recurrent and primary refractory Ewing sarcomas compared with three other standard-of-care treatments used for the disease, according to research presented by McCabe et al during the Plenary Session at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting...
In a phase III trial (Ewing 2008R3) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Koch et al found that the addition of treosulfan and melphalan high-dose chemotherapy (TreoMel-HDT) followed by reinfusion of autologous hematopoietic stem cells to consolidation did not improve event-free survival vs ...
In the phase II/III SEAL trial reported in the the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Gounder et al found that selinexor significantly improved progression-free survival and time to subsequent treatment in previously treated advanced dedifferentiated liposarcoma, with the greatest benefit observed in...
In the phase III TAPPAS trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Jones et al found that the addition of carotuximab to pazopanib did not improve progression-free survival in patients with advanced angiosarcoma. Carotuximab is an IgG1 antibody that binds endoglin, which is highly expressed on proliferating...
In a French phase II study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Delyon et al found that pembrolizumab produced a high response rate in patients with classic or endemic Kaposi sarcoma with progressive cutaneous extension requiring systemic treatment. As stated by the investigators, “Although the...
Researchers have published an analysis of strategies for treating retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcoma, which has historically been understudied due to its rarity. The researchers say the trends they identified—particularly the convergence of certain treatments across centers—will help guide the way ...
I still remember having to sit down with her three siblings on that afternoon. It was drizzling, cloudy, and cool—Mother Nature in agreement with the heaviness of what had just taken place. I held them tight. I knew the words I would utter next would change their lives forever. I paused for 10...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, researchers in the Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens in Tumor Surgery Investigators group found that 5 days vs 1 day of postoperative intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis did not reduce the incidence of surgical site infection and was associated with more...
On November 22, 2021, sirolimus protein-bound particles for injectable suspension (albumin-bound) was approved for treatment of adults with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumor.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval was supported by findings in the...
Emily Z. Keung, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the complex interactions of immune infiltrates and neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in patients with resectable soft-tissue sarcoma. These interactions may hold the key to understanding pathologic response to ICB and ICB resistance (Abstract 379).
When I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of my left femur nearly 20 years ago, I remember telling my parents that I didn’t want to die. The diagnosis was terrifying because all the people I knew who had cancer had passed away, and I thought this cancer would kill me, too. That evening, my dad went...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Leavey et al, the phase III Children’s Oncology Group AEWS1031 trial showed no improvement in event-free or overall survival with the addition of vincristine, topotecan, and cyclophosphamide (VTC) to standard five-drug interval-compressed...
In a report from the Children’s Oncology Group ARST0332 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Venkatamani et al found that risk-based treatment of pediatric and young adult patients with synovial sarcoma produced favorable outcomes in those with nonmetastatic disease. Outcomes in...
In the phase II AMPECT trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wagner et al found that the mTOR inhibitor nab-sirolimus produced a substantial rate of durable responses and a high disease control rate in patients with malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumors. As stated by the...
In the phase I/II ITCC-050 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Gaspar et al found that the combination of lenvatinib with etoposide/ifosfamide showed antitumor activity, including good progression-free survival outcomes, in patients with relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma. Study Details...
In a small study of 16 patients with angiosarcoma published by Michael Wagner, MD, and colleagues in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 4 patients experienced a partial or complete response to treatment with a combination of the immunotherapies ipilimumab and nivolumab, and another 2 patients ...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Yoon-Koo Kang, MD, and colleagues, the phase III VOYAGER trial showed no improvement in progression-free survival with avapritinib vs regorafenib as third- or later-line treatment of patients with molecularly unselected, locally advanced,...
In a European phase II trial (VIT-0910) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Defachelles et al found that the combination of vincristine/irinotecan with vs without temozolomide produced better outcomes—albeit with increased toxicity—in children and adults with relapsed or refractory...
A new clinical guideline from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published by Kilian E. Salerno, MD, and colleagues in Practical Radiation Oncology provides guidance on the use of radiation therapy to treat adult patients with soft-tissue sarcomas. Recommendations outline optimal...
In a phase II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sant P. Chawla, MD, and colleagues found that the addition of the heterologous prime-boost vaccination regimen CMB305 to atezolizumab did not improve survival outcomes in patients with soft-tissue sarcomas expressing the...
An examination of the online nomogram Sarculator demonstrated it is as effective at predicting overall survival of certain patients with sarcoma in the United States as it is in Europe, according to research presented by Voss et al at the Society of Surgical Oncology 2021 International Conference...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted Priority Review to nivolumab as either adjuvant or first-line therapy in several types of gastric cancers, as well as to a novel PD-1 inhibitor for locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal. The FDA also...
In the German phase II PAPGEMO trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Hans-Joachim Schmoll, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that the combination of pazopanib and gemcitabine improved 12-week progression-free survival vs pazopanib alone in patients with anthracycline- or ifosfamide-refractory soft-tissue...
Immune checkpoint inhibitors may prove to be effective in treating patients with two rare cancer types—leptomeningeal metastases and angiosarcoma, according to early-phase clinical trials reported at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), which was held virtually ...
Sarcoma has bedeviled researchers for many years because of its heterogeneity. Sarcoma encompasses more than 100 different subtypes, which makes it difficult to design studies to identify effective therapies. As researchers dig deeper into the constellation of subtypes of sarcoma, some therapies...
In the phase II DOREMY trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Lansu et al found that a reduction in preoperative radiotherapy dose was effective and associated with reduced morbidity in patients with myxoid liposarcoma. A stated by the investigators, “Currently, preoperative radiotherapy for all...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Mrinal Gounder, MD, and colleagues, findings in a cohort of a phase II basket trial showed that the oral EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat produced durable responses in some patients with advanced epithelioid sarcoma with loss of INI1 or SMARCB1 (the gene encoding...