Ibrahim S. Alshaygy, MD, MSC, a clinical fellow in Orthopedic Oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital, discusses precision medicine research in tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT).

Many clinical trials in the United States and Canada are examining the use of targeted therapy for patients with TGCT, especially for those who have exhausted all other medical options, explains Alshaygy. Some of the methods that have been developed to result in tumor size reduction, control disease, and prolong survival in these patients have shown some efficacy and passed through the safety phases of the research process, according to Alshaygy.

Medicine is quickly evolving, and the TGCT field needs to keep up in order to make breakthroughs in the treatment of this patient population, says Alshaygy. Although TGCT is not common, it is important to address the needs of this population, according to Alshaygy.

To this end, additional funding and resources must be contributed to research efforts being made in this field to develop new therapies and modalities to improve and prolong the survival of patients with TGCT, concludes Alshaygy.

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Ibrahim S. Alshaygy, MD, MSC, discusses precision medicine research in tenosynovial giant cell tumor.

Dr. Alshaygy on Precision Medicine Research in TGCT

Ibrahim S. Alshaygy, MD, MSC, a clinical fellow in Orthopedic Oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital, discusses research suggesting a smaller surgical resection margin for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP).

DFSP is an uncommon continuous tumor with a high local recurrence rate, explains Alshaygy. The current standard of care is to remove the tumor with a wide margin resection, but recent research shows that a negative margin can be achieved with smaller resections. Alshaygy and his research team also developed a new follow-up protocol depending on the pathological classification and grading for the tumor.

This research is expected to have a significant impact on the standard practice for this tumor type, according to Alshaygy. Currently, surgeons tend to go for a bigger and wider margin, but Alshaygy suggests a smaller incision. As long as a negative margin is achieved, enough tissue has been removed, which can lead to fewer adverse events, better cosmesis, and better functional outcomes for the patient, says Alshaygy. Additionally, the new follow-up protocol can impact the clinic follow-up and patient follow-up regimen, which saves physicians and patients time in the clinic, concludes Alshaygy.

Ibrahim S. Alshaygy, MD, MSC, discusses research suggesting a smaller surgical resection margin for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Ibrahim S. Alshaygy, MD, MSC

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Dr. Alshaygy on Precision Medicine Research in TGCT

Dr. Alshaygy on Resection Margin for Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans