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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas: latest evidence and clinical implications.

ABSTRACT: Soft tissue sarcomas are a rare and multifaceted group of solid tumours. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly used to limit loss of function after wide surgical excision with the ultimate aim of improving patient survival. Recently, advances in the identification of effective treatment strategies and improvements in patient risk stratification have been reached. A randomized trial demonstrated that neoadjuvant epirubicin and ifosfamide improves survival of patients affected by five high-risk soft tissue sarcoma histologies of trunk and extremities, including undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, myxoid liposarcoma, synovial sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours, and leiomyosarcoma. Selection of patients for these treatments is expected to be improved by the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system, as it tailors T-stage categories on primary tumour site and considers a prognostic nomogram for retroperitoneal sarcoma, which also includes soft tissue sarcoma histology and other patient and tumour features not directly included in the TNM staging. Within this framework, this article will present neoadjuvant treatment strategies for high-risk soft tissue sarcoma, emphasizing the most recent advances and discussing the need for further research to improve the effectiveness of neoadjuvant treatments.

SUBMITTER: Pasquali S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5455882 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas: latest evidence and clinical implications.

Pasquali Sandro S Gronchi Alessandro A

Therapeutic advances in medical oncology 20170416 6

Soft tissue sarcomas are a rare and multifaceted group of solid tumours. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly used to limit loss of function after wide surgical excision with the ultimate aim of improving patient survival. Recently, advances in the identification of effective treatment strategies and improvements in patient risk stratification have been reached. A randomized trial demonstrated that neoadjuvant epirubicin and ifosfamide improves survival of patients affected by five high-risk ...[more]

PMID: 28607580

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Project description:BackgroundNeoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy are applied to large, high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas to treat metastatic disease earlier and sterilize margins to perform R0 surgery. However, preoperative RT increases wound complication rates (rWC), delaying adjuvant chemotherapy or preventing it from being administered altogether. Hypofractionated neoadjuvant RT can be offered in this situation, concomitant to chemotherapy, allowing patients to receive chemotherapy as a preoperative treatment in less time with an acceptable rWC.ObjectiveThe objectives of this protocol are to maintain low rates of morbidity and mortality compared to literature data, improving survival rates and avoiding poor responders from receiving unnecessary adjuvant chemotherapy.MethodsThis noncontrolled, single-arm, phase 2 clinical trial recruited patients aged over 18 years with high-grade soft tissue sarcomas in the girdles or extremities. Three neoadjuvant chemotherapy (ifosfamide and doxorubicin) cycles were administered with 5 days of hypofractionated RT (25 Gy in 5 fractions) in the second cycle of doxorubicin only. Viable cell counts in the surgical specimen were measured, and patients in whom this value was less than 30% continued to receive an additional 3 full chemotherapy cycles as adjuvant treatment.ResultsPrimary endpoint will be disease-specific survival measured by the evaluation of local and distant recurrence after neoadjuvant treatment. The secondary endpoints will be wound complication and amputation rates and chemotherapy toxicity. We also will record the viable cell rates after the schema and correlate this with survival.ConclusionsAs seems with other solid tumors, hypofractionated RT has comparable efficacy and safety as conventional fractionation. This modality of treatment combined with chemotherapy could increase the pathological response rates and improve the outcomes of select patients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02812654; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02812654 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6qC3puBOy).

Project description:PurposeNumerous preclinical studies have demonstrated that angiogenesis inhibitors can increase the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT). We sought to examine the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab (BV) and RT in soft tissue sarcomas and explore biomarkers to help determine the treatment response.Methods and materialsPatients with ≥5 cm, intermediate- or high-grade soft tissue sarcomas at significant risk of local recurrence received neoadjuvant BV alone followed by BV plus RT before surgical resection. Correlative science studies included analysis of the serial blood and tumor samples and serial perfusion computed tomography scans.ResultsThe 20 patients had a median tumor size of 8.25 cm, with 13 extremity, 1 trunk, and 6 retroperitoneal/pelvis tumors. The neoadjuvant treatment was well tolerated, with only 4 patients having Grade 3 toxicities (hypertension, liver function test elevation). BV plus RT resulted in ≥80% pathologic necrosis in 9 (45%) of 20 tumors, more than double the historical rate seen with RT alone. Three patients had a complete pathologic response. The median microvessel density decreased 53% after BV alone (p <.05). After combination therapy, the median tumor cell proliferation decreased by 73%, apoptosis increased 10.4-fold, and the blood flow, blood volume, and permeability surface area decreased by 62-72% (p <.05). Analysis of gene expression microarrays of untreated tumors identified a 24-gene signature for treatment response. The microvessel density and circulating progenitor cells at baseline and the reduction in microvessel density and plasma soluble c-KIT with BV therapy also correlated with a good pathologic response (p <.05). After a median follow-up of 20 months, only 1 patient had developed local recurrence.ConclusionsThe results from the present exploratory study indicated that BV increases the efficacy of RT against soft tissue sarcomas and might reduce the incidence of local recurrence. Thus, this regimen warrants additional investigation. Gene expression profiles and other tissue and circulating biomarkers showed promising correlations with treatment response.

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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas: latest evidence and clinical implications.

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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas: latest evidence and clinical implications.

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