Role of new chemotherapy agents in soft tissue sarcoma.
Medical management of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) has been restricted by the limited availability of active drugs. A plethora of new oncologic agents are now available, many of which have specific therapeutic targets. Gemcitabine and docetaxel is a combination of drugs that have limited single-agent activity. Yondelis, a novel chemotherapeutic that binds DNA and functions partially by inhibiting transcription, is being tested alone and in combination with doxorubicin. Inhibitors of mTOR, a serine/threonine kinase that regulates cell cycle activation and cell growth, are also being tested. Growth factor receptor inhibitors are being evaluated in a variety of sarcomas that have been found to express the targets. In addition, a variety of agents are being assessed in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Single agents and agents combined with imatinib are being tested in imatinib-refractory and in metastatic GIST. The increased use of targeted agents underscores the need for understanding sarcoma biology.
von Mehren
Margaret
M
Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497, USA. margaret.vonmehren@fccc.edu
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents