Advances and controversies in the management of soft tissue sarcomas

Intensive clinical research in the sarcoma field has provided insight into the histopathological diversity of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and led to the introduction of many new agents that promise to play an important role in the management of patients with STS. While an increasing body of scientific data has advanced our knowledge of this complex family of mesenchymal diseases, several controversies remain to be resolved: Is doxorubicin-based therapy still the definitive standard first-line treatment for all patients with unresectable and/or metastatic STS of all subtypes? Is histology-driven therapy beyond gastrointestinal stromal tumors a reality or are we pursuing an unachievable objective? Are we making practical headway in the establishment of sarcoma reference centers? Is it clearly established which is the best parameter to evaluate the efficacy of a new agent in STS?