Adjuvant chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma. 2015

Paolo G Casali
From the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.

Adjuvant chemotherapy is not standard treatment in soft tissue sarcoma (STS). However, when the risk of relapse is high, it is an option for shared decision making with the patient in conditions of uncertainty. This is because available evidence is conflicting, even if several randomized clinical trials have been performed for 4 decades and also have been pooled into meta-analyses. Indeed, available meta-analyses point to a benefit in the 5% to 10% range in terms of survival and distant relapse rate. Some local benefit also was suggested by some trials. Placing chemotherapy in the preoperative setting may help gain a local advantage in terms of the quality of surgical margins or decreased sequelae. This may be done within a personalized approach according to the clinical presentation. Attempts to personalize treatment on the basis of the variegated pathology and molecular biology of STS subgroups are ongoing as well, according to what is done in the medical treatment of advanced STS. Thus, decision making for adjuvant and neoadjuvant indications deserves personalization in clinical research and in clinical practice, taking profit from all multidisciplinary clinical skills available at a sarcoma reference center, though with a degree of subjectivity because of the limitations of available evidence.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002986 Clinical Trials as Topic Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries. Clinical Trial as Topic
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000971 Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols The use of two or more chemicals simultaneously or sequentially in the drug therapy of neoplasms. The drugs need not be in the same dosage form. Anticancer Drug Combinations,Antineoplastic Agents, Combined,Antineoplastic Chemotherapy Protocols,Antineoplastic Drug Combinations,Cancer Chemotherapy Protocols,Chemotherapy Protocols, Antineoplastic,Drug Combinations, Antineoplastic,Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Regimens,Combined Antineoplastic Agents,Agent, Combined Antineoplastic,Agents, Combined Antineoplastic,Anticancer Drug Combination,Antineoplastic Agent, Combined,Antineoplastic Chemotherapy Protocol,Antineoplastic Drug Combination,Cancer Chemotherapy Protocol,Chemotherapy Protocol, Antineoplastic,Chemotherapy Protocol, Cancer,Chemotherapy Protocols, Cancer,Combinations, Antineoplastic Drug,Combined Antineoplastic Agent,Drug Combination, Anticancer,Drug Combination, Antineoplastic,Drug Combinations, Anticancer,Protocol, Antineoplastic Chemotherapy,Protocol, Cancer Chemotherapy,Protocols, Antineoplastic Chemotherapy,Protocols, Cancer Chemotherapy
D012509 Sarcoma A connective tissue neoplasm formed by proliferation of mesodermal cells; it is usually highly malignant. Sarcoma, Epithelioid,Sarcoma, Soft Tissue,Sarcoma, Spindle Cell,Epithelioid Sarcoma,Epithelioid Sarcomas,Sarcomas,Sarcomas, Epithelioid,Sarcomas, Soft Tissue,Sarcomas, Spindle Cell,Soft Tissue Sarcoma,Soft Tissue Sarcomas,Spindle Cell Sarcoma,Spindle Cell Sarcomas
D016896 Treatment Outcome Evaluation undertaken to assess the results or consequences of management and procedures used in combating disease in order to determine the efficacy, effectiveness, safety, and practicability of these interventions in individual cases or series. Rehabilitation Outcome,Treatment Effectiveness,Clinical Effectiveness,Clinical Efficacy,Patient-Relevant Outcome,Treatment Efficacy,Effectiveness, Clinical,Effectiveness, Treatment,Efficacy, Clinical,Efficacy, Treatment,Outcome, Patient-Relevant,Outcome, Rehabilitation,Outcome, Treatment,Outcomes, Patient-Relevant,Patient Relevant Outcome,Patient-Relevant Outcomes
D017024 Chemotherapy, Adjuvant Drug therapy given to augment or stimulate some other form of treatment such as surgery or radiation therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is commonly used in the therapy of cancer and can be administered before or after the primary treatment. Adjuvant Chemotherapy,Drug Therapy, Adjuvant,Adjuvant Drug Therapy

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