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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Establishment of a Primary Culture of Patient-derived Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Published on: April 11, 2018
Gemcitabine in the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas
1Innere Klinik und Poliklinik (Tumorforschung), Universitätsklinikum Essen, Westdeutsches Tumorzentrum, Essen, Germany. sebastianbauer@uni-essen.de
Abstract:
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare mesenchymal tumors with poor prognosis once they present as advanced or metastasized disease. Only few cytostatic drugs have been proven to be active in sarcoma patients and there is a clear need for further treatment options in patients with tumors refractory to standard chemotherapy. Gemcitabine, a nucleoside analogue, has shown activity in several epithelial tumors. Clinical data on the activity of gemcitabine in STS, however, are scarce and heterogeneous. In trials including all subtypes of sarcomas response rates observed with single and multiagent schedules are ranging from 3 to 53%. Histopathological subtypes which seem to exhibit an increased susceptibility to gemcitabine are uterine leiomyosarcomas and angiosarcomas. The synergistic role of other cytostatic drugs, e.g. the role of taxanes, still remains unclear and warrants further trials. We here review the available literature on gemcitabine in the treatment of STS.
Insights
Gemcitabine shows variable efficacy in treating soft tissue sarcomas (STS), a rare cancer. Further research is needed to clarify its role, especially in combination therapies for refractory STS cases.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Pharmacology
Background:
- Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare mesenchymal tumors with poor prognosis in advanced or metastatic stages.
- Limited effective chemotherapeutic options exist for STS, particularly for refractory cases, highlighting the need for novel treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the available literature on the efficacy of gemcitabine in treating soft tissue sarcomas.
- To assess the current understanding of gemcitabine's role in STS treatment and identify areas for future research.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of published clinical trials and studies.
- Analysis of response rates and outcomes in patients treated with gemcitabine for STS.
Main Results:
- Observed response rates for gemcitabine in STS range from 3% to 53% across various single and multiagent schedules.
- Uterine leiomyosarcomas and angiosarcomas appear more susceptible to gemcitabine.
- The synergistic effect of gemcitabine with other agents like taxanes requires further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Gemcitabine demonstrates a heterogeneous activity profile in soft tissue sarcomas.
- Specific STS subtypes may benefit more from gemcitabine-based therapy.
- Further clinical trials are warranted to optimize gemcitabine's use in STS, including combination strategies.
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