Chemotherapeutic management of soft tissue sarcoma.
Soft tissue sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of connective tissue tumors, with more than 50 different subtypes. Given the heterogeneity, and the relative small numbers of patients, performing large adequately powered clinical trials in which one can glean any overall broad treatment decisions based on outcome is difficult at best. There is controversy on which chemotherapeutic agents to use in the adjuvant and metastatic settings, or even if to use chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting. In the metastatic setting, doxorubicin and ifosfamide have remained the standards of care for more than 20 years. This review discusses the data on chemotherapy for treatment of metastatic sarcomas and the utility of chemotherapy in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings. In addition, the utility of newer biologic agents in the treatment for sarcomas is considered.
Department of Medical Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. kthornt2@jhmi.edu
Katherine
K
Thornton
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077606:Trabectedin
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D004149:Dioxoles; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D004317:Doxorubicin; D000077606:Trabectedin; D007069:Ifosfamide