Intensity of recent years in the investigation of soft tissue sarcoma

The European Medicines Agency's approval in 2007 of trabectedin for treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) - the first new agent approved in this indication for more than 30 years - coincided with the start of an exciting era in sarcoma research. Over the past 10 years, several other cytotoxic agents and targeted therapies have been approved for use in advanced STS and research efforts continue to intensify. In parallel, the virtual explosion of new evidence has presented its own set of challenges in terms of interpreting the data and understanding how it may apply to individual patients. This review provides a critical appraisal of several key studies published in the field of advanced STS in the past decade.