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A Mouse Model of Incompletely Resected Soft Tissue Sarcoma for Testing Neoadjuvant Therapies
Published on: July 28, 2020
Targeted therapy and promising novel agents for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas
Nisha Mohindra1, Mark Agulnik2
1a 1 Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Hematology/Oncology , Chicago, IL, USA.
Introduction:
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a rare and difficult to treat malignancy. Efforts to utilize targeted therapy have been ongoing for the last decade and have resulted in the approval of pazopanib for treatment of advanced disease. Although several other agents have been investigated, the inability to predict responses remains a limiting factor to the incorporation of these agents into treatment.
Areas Covered:
The authors summarize recent clinical findings from studies focused on targeted agents in STS. The authors also discuss the potential approaches and ongoing clinical trials with novel agents.
Expert Opinion:
A major challenge in the treatment of advanced STS remains a lack of predictive biomarkers to guide therapy and the heterogeneity of response among different histologies of sarcoma. Incorporation of predictive biomarker analysis into clinical trials is warranted. Additionally, mechanisms of treatment resistance and parallel pathways of tumor growth pose challenges in how we treat these tumors. An active area of research in STS is the use of novel combinations of agents, such as chemotherapy combined with multi-targeted agents. The potential of immune check point inhibitors is being explored in advanced STS and is hoped to further expand our treatment armamentarium.
Insights
Targeted therapies show promise for advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS), but predicting patient response remains a challenge. Future research focuses on predictive biomarkers and novel drug combinations to improve treatment outcomes for this rare cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Research
- Cancer Therapy
Background:
- Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a rare and challenging malignancy.
- Targeted therapy development for STS has led to pazopanib approval for advanced disease.
- Predicting patient response to targeted agents remains a significant hurdle in STS treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent clinical findings on targeted agents in soft tissue sarcomas.
- To discuss potential therapeutic approaches and ongoing clinical trials for novel agents in STS.
- To highlight challenges and future directions in advanced STS treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of clinical studies on targeted agents in STS.
- Analysis of current and emerging therapeutic strategies.
- Discussion of ongoing clinical trials and future research directions.
Main Results:
- Pazopanib is approved for advanced STS, but response prediction is limited.
- Several targeted agents have been investigated with varying success.
- Predictive biomarkers are crucial for guiding therapy in heterogeneous STS.
Conclusions:
- Lack of predictive biomarkers and histological heterogeneity challenge advanced STS treatment.
- Integrating biomarker analysis into clinical trials is essential.
- Novel combinations and immune checkpoint inhibitors offer future therapeutic potential for STS.
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