Recent advances in sarcoma therapy: new agents, strategies and predictive biomarkers.

Abstract

Soft tissue and bone sarcomas are a heterogenous group of uncommon mesenchymal tumors with high unmet needs for novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. Despite many challenges that persist, innovative therapeutics are emerging.

Here we provide a review of the studies presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting that were focused on sarcoma. There were many outstanding studies that were reported at the meeting.

We begin by discussing the clinical studies on soft tissue sarcoma (STS) that included multiple histology subtypes, followed by highlighting developments in cellular therapy, before delving into specific STS histologic subtypes followed by a section covering the studies that were focused on predictive biomarkers.

We conclude by discussing the studies in bone sarcomas. Some of the studies discussed here are likely to be practice changing. Some of the early-phase clinical trials have shown encouraging results.

COI Statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References:

Judson I, Verweij J, Gelderblom H, et al. Doxorubicin alone versus intensified doxorubicin plus ifosfamide for first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma: a randomised controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2014;15(4):415–23. 10.1016/S1470-2045(14)70063-4.
Seddon B, Strauss SJ, Whelan J, et al. Gemcitabine and docetaxel versus doxorubicin as first-line treatment in previously untreated advanced unresectable or metastatic soft-tissue sarcomas (GeDDiS): a randomised controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18(10):1397–410. 10.1016/S1470-2045(17)30622-8.
Pautier P, Italiano A, Piperno-Neumann S, et al. Doxorubicin alone versus doxorubicin with trabectedin followed by trabectedin alone as first-line therapy for metastatic or unresectable leiomyosarcoma (LMS-04): a randomised, multicentre, open-label phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2022;23(8):1044–54. 10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00380-1.
Pan M, Trieu MK, Sidhu M, Yu J, Seto T, Ganjoo K. Fourteen-day gemcitabine-docetaxel chemotherapy is effective and safer compared to 21-day regimen in patients with advanced soft tissue and bone sarcoma. Cancers. 2021;13(8):1983. 10.3390/cancers13081983.
Pan M, Zhou MY, Jiang C, et al. Sex-dependent prognosis of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2024;30(2):413–9. 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1990.

Article info

Journal issue:

Volume: 17
Issue: 1

Doi:

10.1186/s13045-024-01650-6

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Recent advances in sarcoma therapy: new agents, strategies and predictive biomarkers.

Abstract

We conclude by discussing the studies in bone sarcomas. Some of the studies discussed here are likely to be practice changing. Some of the early-phase clinical trials have shown encouraging results.

COI Statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References:

Judson I, Verweij J, Gelderblom H, et al. Doxorubicin alone versus intensified doxorubicin plus ifosfamide for first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma: a randomised controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2014;15(4):415–23. 10.1016/S1470-2045(14)70063-4.
Seddon B, Strauss SJ, Whelan J, et al. Gemcitabine and docetaxel versus doxorubicin as first-line treatment in previously untreated advanced unresectable or metastatic soft-tissue sarcomas (GeDDiS): a randomised controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18(10):1397–410. 10.1016/S1470-2045(17)30622-8.
Pautier P, Italiano A, Piperno-Neumann S, et al. Doxorubicin alone versus doxorubicin with trabectedin followed by trabectedin alone as first-line therapy for metastatic or unresectable leiomyosarcoma (LMS-04): a randomised, multicentre, open-label phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2022;23(8):1044–54. 10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00380-1.
Pan M, Trieu MK, Sidhu M, Yu J, Seto T, Ganjoo K. Fourteen-day gemcitabine-docetaxel chemotherapy is effective and safer compared to 21-day regimen in patients with advanced soft tissue and bone sarcoma. Cancers. 2021;13(8):1983. 10.3390/cancers13081983.
Pan M, Zhou MY, Jiang C, et al. Sex-dependent prognosis of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2024;30(2):413–9. 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1990.