From the Guidelines
Sarcomas are a rare and heterogeneous group of solid tumors of mesenchymal origin, accounting for only 1% of all adult malignancies and 15% of childhood malignancies. They can be broadly divided into two categories: sarcomas of soft tissues, which include fat, muscle, nerve and nerve sheath, blood vessels, and other connective tissues, and sarcomas of bone 1. Some key characteristics of sarcomas include:
- They can occur anywhere in the body, but most commonly affect the limbs, chest, abdomen, and head and neck region
- They are typically treated with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, depending on the specific type, location, size, and stage of the tumor
- Early detection can be challenging as symptoms may be vague or absent until the tumor grows large enough to cause pain, swelling, or functional limitations in the affected area
- There are over 50 different histologic subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas, which can metastasize to various parts of the body, including the lungs, liver, and peritoneum 1
- The anatomic site of the primary disease represents an important variable that influences treatment and outcome, with extremities, trunk, viscera, retroperitoneum, and head and neck being the most common primary sites 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The clinical efficacy and safety of YONDELIS in patients with metastatic or recurrent leiomyosarcoma or liposarcoma were demonstrated in Trial ET743-SAR-3007
- Sarcoma is not explicitly defined in the provided text, but it is mentioned that patients had leiomyosarcoma or liposarcoma, which are types of soft tissue sarcoma. The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Definition of Sarcoma
- Sarcoma is a broad group of rare tumors, specifically referred to as soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in the provided studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- It is a heterogeneous group of many rare tumors, with various histological subtypes, such as leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, and angiosarcoma 3, 6.
Characteristics of Sarcoma
- Sarcomas can arise from various tissues, including extremities, trunk, and other sites 5.
- They can be classified as high-grade or low-grade, with high-grade sarcomas being more aggressive and having a higher likelihood of recurrence 5.
- The size and location of the tumor, as well as the patient's age and performance status, can affect treatment outcomes 5, 6.
Treatment of Sarcoma
- The cornerstone of treatment for sarcoma is surgery, with complementary radiotherapy recommended in high-risk cases 2.
- Chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin and ifosfamide, can be used as a first-line treatment for advanced sarcomas, with or without other agents like dacarbazine 3, 4, 6.
- Histology-driven chemotherapy, where treatment is tailored to the specific subtype of sarcoma, has become a modern concept in sarcoma treatment 2, 3.
- Targeted therapies, such as imatinib and pazopanib, have also been approved for specific subtypes of sarcomas 2, 3.