Dr. Randall on the SAFETY Trial in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

R. Lor Randall, MD, FACS, professor and The David Linn Endowed Chair for Orthopaedic Surgery and professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Davis Health, discusses the SAFETY trial (NCT03944798) in soft tissue sarcoma.

The SAFETY trial will evaluate the effectiveness of chest computerized tomography (CT) versus chest radiograph in patients with primary extremity sarcoma that has metastasized to the lungs. Currently, when soft tissue sarcoma metastasizes to the lungs, patients undergo chest imaging via a chest radiograph or a chest CT scan; however, it is unknown whether the imaging should be done every 3 months or every 6 months and whether a chest radiograph or CT scan is best.

While a chest radiograph provides results more quickly and exposes patients to less radiation, a chest CT scan provides a more detailed image, says Randall. This trial may shed light on whether a chest CT is needed or whether patients could be spared unnecessary radiation, concludes Randall.