New therapies in soft tissue sarcoma.
BACKGROUND
Soft tissue sarcomas are rare mesenchymal tumors accounting for < 1% of all adult neoplasia. In the last decade, locally advanced and metastatic soft tissue sarcoma have been managed only through surgery, radiotherapy and standard chemotherapy (mainly based on anthracycline and ifosfamide). Despite the efforts, overall 5-year survival rate in patients with soft tissue sarcomas of all stages remains only 50 - 60%.


METHODS
In the present article, all the main new molecules under clinical evaluation for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma are revised by describing the mechanism of action, the biological rationale of their use in sarcoma and by reporting the available data about safety and efficacy, up to 2009.


RESULTS
A brief summary of the standard treatments available at the moment and a complete analysis of the state of art about the development of new target therapies in the management of soft tissue sarcoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The identification of new biological therapies that target soft tissue sarcoma tumorigenesis key points seems to offer a real opportunity of improving the prognosis of this often aggressive disease. In this sense, the best management for soft tissue sarcoma patients is in a clinical trial and participation in clinical trials should be encouraged.
Vincenzi
Bruno
B
University Campus Bio-Medico, Medical Oncology, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128, Rome, Italy. b.vincenzi@unicampus.it
Frezza
Anna Maria
AM
Santini
Daniele
D
Tonini
Giuseppe
G
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015507:Drugs, Investigational