Dr Somaiah on Overcoming Challenges to Multidisciplinary Approaches in Sarcoma

“I think the biggest challenge that still remains is the rarity of [sarcoma]; with the rarity comes the pathology diagnosis of the subtypes, so I think the big push [in sarcoma] is making sure patients get an early opinion at an expert center.”

Neeta Somaiah, MD, a professor and department chair of the Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology in the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, detailed challenges associated with pathology diagnosis and next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the sarcoma landscape.

A significant challenge in the sarcoma setting is the rarity of the disease type, along with the need for a careful pathology review regarding sarcoma subtypes, Somaiah began. She noted that there’s a big push for patients to get early opinions at expert centers that can provide a proper review of the pathology. However, she emphasized that when the pathology gets sent off to NGS—although essential and a more common practice—it also needs to be matched with the pathology diagnosis. This step is important because it could reveal nuances of sarcomas based on where they arise in the body and where they could potentially metastasize, she explained. Additionally, Somaiah noted that matching NGS results with the pathology could also help determine if patients require early systemic therapy and identify those who could delay these therapies. Therefore, treating sarcomas requires a multidisciplinary approach, she emphasized.

Furthermore, Somaiah explained that it can be a challenge to get patients to an academic center with experienced treating patients with different subtypes of sarcomas often and understands the nuances of sarcomas, as well as each subtype, so patients can receive an accurate diagnosis. Nevertheless, great progress can be made if correct treatment is instituted early; therefore, having patients get early opinions can significantly help guide care for patients with sarcomas, she concluded.