Dr. Maki on the Evolving Treatment Landscape in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Robert G. Maki, MD, PhD, FACP, FASCO, clinical director, Sarcoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, Penn Medicine, discusses the evolving treatment landscape of soft tissue sarcoma.

In the current treatment paradigm, primary treatment for patients with soft tissue sarcoma should be given in the neoadjuvant setting rather than the adjuvant setting, Maki says.

Historically, radiation and chemotherapy were given after patients underwent surgery, explains Maki.

However, neoadjuvant radiation and chemotherapy is now being utilized more frequently, particularly at centers that treat many patients with soft tissue sarcoma, says Maki.

Although trials evaluating adjuvant therapy are ongoing, the paradigm appears to be shifting to a neoadjuvant approach, Maki says.

In the metastatic setting, the combination of doxorubicin and ifosfamide offers a reasonable option for patients who require a rapid response. Alternatively, patients who are not overly symptomatic should be considered for single-agent treatment, concludes Maki.