Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
07:15
A Mouse Model of Incompletely Resected Soft Tissue Sarcoma for Testing (Neo)adjuvant Therapies
Published on: July 28, 2020
From tumor regression grading to interpretable endpoints in neoadjuvant oncology
Cédric Schraepen1, Albert Wolthuis2, Wentao Tang3
1Abdominal Surgery Department, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. cedric.schraepen@kuleuven.be.
NPJ Precision Oncology
|July 3, 2026
Summary
Neoadjuvant therapy needs better ways to measure success. This study proposes using quantitative histopathology metrics for more accurate and reproducible assessment of treatment response in oncology.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Biomarker Development
Background:
- Current neoadjuvant therapy efficacy endpoints rely on subjective grading systems.
- These systems were developed for older cytotoxic therapies and may not suit modern treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for evolving post-treatment histopathology toward quantitative, biologically interpretable metrics.
- To propose a framework for developing reproducible histologic endpoints in neoadjuvant oncology.
Main Methods:
- Integrating tumor burden, immune contexture, and spatial organization in histopathology.
- Developing a validation pathway to distinguish prognostic biomarkers from surrogate endpoints.
Main Results:
- Histopathology metrics should be quantitative and biologically interpretable.
- A tumor- and regimen-aware framework is proposed for developing endpoints.
Conclusions:
- Quantitative histopathology offers a more objective approach to assessing neoadjuvant therapy response.
- Standardized, reproducible histologic endpoints are crucial for advancing neoadjuvant oncology.
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