Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma in a US Community Setting

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients treated for dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) at community oncology centers are not well studied. Our goal was to assess real-world patterns of diagnosis, clinical management, and outcomes of patients with DDLPS in US community settings.

This was a retrospective observational study of electronic health records (EHRs) obtained from the iKnowMed EHR system for patients diagnosed with DDLPS between January 1, 2008, and October 31, 2023, within The US Oncology Network and non-Network practices. The primary outcomes were real-world overall survival (rwOS) from diagnosis and from the start of the first systemic therapy after documented metastatic disease (1L[M]) until death (due to any cause). Real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) was assessed from 1L(M) systemic therapy initiation to the earliest date of progression or date of death (due to any cause).

A total of 123 patients with DDLPS (women, 33.3%; White, 60.2%; metastatic disease, 34.0%) were included. Biomarker testing was most frequently performed for the MDM2 proto-oncogene (78.0%), followed by CDK4 (38.2%) and TP53 (10.6%). DDLPS treatments included surgery (76.0%), radiation therapy (35.0%), and systemic agents (46.3%), of which cytotoxic drugs, particularly first-line anthracycline, were the most common. Median rwOS was 44.2 months. For patients with metastatic disease, median rwPFS was 2.7 months, and rwOS from start of 1L(M) systemic therapy was 11.7 months.

Patients with DDLPS treated in US community settings are heterogeneous in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics, biomarker testing, treatment, and outcomes. The relatively poor survival rates suggest an unmet need for better therapeutics.