Dr. Singh on Treatment for Patients With Uterine Leiomyosarcoma

Arun S. Singh, MD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, discusses treatment for patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Sarcomas are a very rare group of malignancies, explains Singh. They are connective tissue cancers that can occur anywhere in the body, including the uterus. Historically, these diseases are treated with surgery and sometimes radiation therapy. Systemic therapy plays a large role in treatment, notes Singh, particularly in patients who have advanced-stage disease. Physicians have access to chemotherapies and some targeted therapies for the treatment of patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma. Immunotherapy is just beginning to make an entrance into the field, he adds.

Currently, the most exciting combination is the addition of olaratumab (Lartruvo), which is a PDGFRα antibody, to gemcitabine and docetaxel. That is in an ongoing trial, explains Singh. The FDA approved olaratumab based on a phase II trial for soft tissue sarcoma, which included patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma.