High-risk Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients Research Articles

Study protocol: randomized phase III trial of neo-adjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy vs. immediate surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy for localized soft tissue sarcoma: Japan Clinical Oncology Group study JCOG2102 (NACLESS).

The optimal timing of surgery and the number of courses of perioperative chemotherapy for high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients are still controversial. Tumour growth during neoadjuvant chemotherapy led to limb amputation in some patients. This study aims to confirm the non-inferiority of surgery and three courses of adjuvant chemotherapy with adriamycin (30mg/m2, days 1 and 2) plus ifosfamide (2g/m2, days 1-5) compared with our standard treatment of three courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery followed by two courses of adjuvant chemotherapy with adriamycin plus ifosfamide for localized high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients. This is a multi-center, two-arm, open-label, randomized phase III trial. The primary aim is to confirm the non-inferiority in overall survival (margin: hazard ratio of 1.61). This is the first randomized controlled trial to compare neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immediate surgery for soft tissue sarcoma. This trial was initiated on 16 November 2022 and registered with the Japan Clinical Trials Registry (jRCTs031220446).

Preoperative sequential chemotherapy and hypofractionated radiotherapy combined with comprehensive surgical resection for high-risk soft tissue sarcomas: a retrospective study.

The management of soft tissue sarcomas presents considerable therapeutic challenges. This study was designed to assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant sequential chemotherapy and hypofractionated radiotherapy in conjunction with extensive surgical resection for the treatment of high-risk soft tissue sarcomas. We performed a retrospective review of 31 high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients treated at our institution from June 2021 to June 2023. The cohort consisted of 21 males and 10 females with a mean age of 55.7 years and included both initial and recurrent disease presentations. Our treatment regimen comprised two to three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy coupled with hypofractionated radiotherapy, delivered at 5 Gy per fraction to a total dose of 25-35 Gy across 5-7 days, prior to surgical resection aimed at achieving wide margins. Data collection was systematic, covering surgical outcomes, chemoradiotherapy-related complications, and prognostic factors. All patients completed the prescribed course of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. 29% patients experienced grade 3+ chemotherapy toxicity, necessitating a reduction or interruption in their chemotherapy regimen. Limb preservation was accomplished in 30 patients finally. Response evaluation using RECIST 1.1 criteria post-neoadjuvant therapy revealed 9.7% with PD, 58.1% with SD, 29% with a PR, and 3.2% with a CR, culminating in an ORR of 32.2%. Postoperative complications included superficial wound infections in four patients and deep incisional infections in another four. 6 patients had developed metastasis, and 3 patients were still alive. Two experienced local recurrence. One-year DFS was 79.3%, with a one-year OS rate of 89.6%. Neoadjuvant sequential chemotherapy and hypofractionated radiotherapy followed by extensive surgical resection represents an effective treatment paradigm for high-risk soft tissue sarcomas. This multimodal approach not only facilitates tumor reduction but also significantly reduces the risks of local recurrence and distant metastasis.

The prognostic value of CINSARC in a randomised trial comparing histotype-tailored neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus standard chemotherapy in patients with high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas (ISG-STS 1001).

e23531 Background: The Complexity INdex in SARComas (CINSARC) is a gene expression signature related to mitosis and chromosome integrity that stratifies risk for recurrence of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients. The aim of this study was to validate the prognostic value of CINSARC in patients enrolled in a randomised trial that compared histotype-tailored neoadjuvant chemotherapy with standard chemotherapy in patients with high-risk STS (ISG-STS 1001). Methods: CINSARC is 67-gene-expression-based signature that has been previously tested in retrospective series. The ISG-STS 1001 was a phase 3 RCT comparing histotype-tailored and anthracycline-based chemotherapy in localised, high-risk STS of the extremities or trunk wall, with one of five histological STS subtypes: high-grade myxoid liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Outcome variables were disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and tumour response according to RECIST v1.1. Results: CINSARC was assessed in pre-treatment biopsies of 87 in 435 patients participating in the study. Thirty and 57 patients segregated in the lower (C1) and higher (C2) CINSARC risk group, respectively. Incidence of local recurrences (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) did not differ between C1 and C2 CINSARC groups [2 (6.6%) and 11 (19.3%) patients had a LR, respectively, and 10 (33.3%) and 14 (24.5%) patients had DM, respectively, P = 0.800]. Consistently, we did not observe statistically significant differences for DFS and OS between patients in the CINSARC C1 and C2 groups (log-rank test, P = 0.522 and P = 0.480, respectively). RECIST tumour response was analysed in a subset of patients (N = 39), showing that a RECIST SD was more likely in C1 (N = 12/14, 85.6%) compared to C2 (N = 18/25, 72%) group, while both RECIST PD and PR were more commonly detected in C2 [3/25 (12%) and 4/25 (16%), respectively] compared to C1 [0/14 (0%) and 1/14 (7.1%), respectively] group. Conclusions: In high-risk STS patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy within a RCT, CINSARC did not correlate with different DFS and OS. While this may well be due to a failure of this gene signature in this patient population, an alternative hypothesis is that preoperative chemotherapy may improve the prognosis of higher-risk patients. Clinical trial information: NCT01710176 .

One shot NEPA plus dexamethasone to prevent multiple-day chemotherapy in sarcoma patients

PurposeChemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is one of the most feared and disturbing adverse events of cancer treatment associated with decreased adherence to effective chemotherapy regimens. For high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients, receiving multiple-day chemotherapy (MD-CT), antiemetic guidelines recommend a combination of an NK1 receptor antagonist (NK1-RA), a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (5HT3-RA), and dexamethasone on each day of the antineoplastic treatment. NEPA is the first oral fixed-dose combination of a highly selective NK1-RA, netupitant, and second-generation 5HT3-RA, palonosetron. So far, no data has been published in literature about the efficacy of a single dose of NEPA in MD-CT.MethodsWe performed a prospective, non-comparative study to assess the efficacy of one shot of NEPA plus dexamethasone in sarcoma patients receiving MD-CT. The primary efficacy endpoint was a complete response (CR: no emesis, no rescue medication) during the overall phase (0–120 h) in cycle 1. The main secondary endpoints were CR during the overall phase of cycles 2 and 3.ResultsThe primary endpoint was reached in 88.9% of patients. Cycles 2 and 3 overall CR rates were 88.9% and 82.4%, respectively. The antiemetic regimen was well tolerated.ConclusionsThis pilot study showed the benefit of one shot of NEPA to prevent CINV in sarcoma patients receiving MD-chemotherapy.

Adjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative radiotherapy in high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients defined by biological risk factors—A Scandinavian Sarcoma Group study (SSG XX)

PurposeTo investigate the outcome following adjuvant doxorubicin and ifosfamide in a prospective non-randomised study based on a soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patient subgroup defined by specific morphological characteristics previously shown to be at a high-risk of metastatic relapse. The expected 5-year cumulative incidence of metastases in patients with this risk profile has previously been reported to be about 50% without adjuvant chemotherapy. MethodsHigh-risk STS was defined as high-grade morphology (according to the Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer [FNCLCC] grade II–III) and either vascular invasion or at least two of the following criteria: tumour size ≥8.0 cm, infiltrative growth and necrosis. Six cycles of doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) and ifosfamide (6 g/m2) were given. Postoperative accelerated radiotherapy was applied and scheduled between cycles 3 and 4. ResultsFor the 150 eligible patients, median follow-up time for metastases-free survival was 3.9 years (range 0.2–8.7). Five-year metastases-free survival (MFS) was 70.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 63.1–78.4) with a local recurrence rate of 14.0% (95% CI: 7.8–20.2). For overall survival (OS), the median follow-up time was 4.4 years (range: 0.2–8.7). The five-year OS was 76.1% (95% CI: 68.8–84.2). Tumour size, deep location and reduced dose intensity (<80%) had a negative impact on survival. Toxicity was moderate with no treatment-related death. ConclusionsA benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy, compared to similar historical control groups, was demonstrated in STS patients with defined poor prognostic factors. Vascular invasion, tumour size, growth pattern and necrosis may identify patients in need of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Prognostic stratification using the nomogram sarculator and its impact on study results in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) for localized soft tissue sarcomas (STS): A secondary analysis of the EORTC-STBSG 62931.

11518Background: To determine whether high-risk STS patients identified using individual patient data and the nomogram Sarculator, benefitted from adjuvant chemotherapy in a RCT which failed to det...

High-risk soft tissue sarcomas treated with perioperative chemotherapy: Improving prognostic classification in a randomised clinical trial

BackgroundPatients with extremity and trunk wall soft tissue sarcoma (STS) with high malignancy grade and size >5 cm are at high-risk of death. This risk varies depending also on other patient and tumour features, including histologic subtype. This study investigated whether a prognostic nomogram can improve risk assessment of these patients. MethodsData from high-risk STS patients enrolled in a randomised controlled trial investigating different perioperative chemotherapy regimens were analysed. Ten-year probability of overall survival (OS) and incidence of distant metastasis (DM) were computed using the prognostic nomogram Sarculator (pr-OS and inc-DM, respectively). Tumour response according to RECIST and Choi criteria was also investigated. FindingsVariation in pr-OS and inc-DM were observed and patients stratified in three prognostic groups. The 10-year OS in the low, intermediate, and high pr-OS categories were 0·42 (95%CI 0·32–0·52), 0·63 (95%CI 0·53–0·72), and 0·78 (95%CI 0·68–0·85), respectively. Patients in the intermediate (HR 0·51, P = 0·002) and high (HR 0·28, P < 0·001) pr-OS categories were at statistically significant lower risk of death compared with those in the low pr-OS category. Higher rate of Choi partial tumour responses were detected in intermediate pr-OS category. Tumour response according to Choi but not to RECIST criteria stratified patient survival of pr-OS categories, particularly for patients with intermediate to low pr-OS. Analyses conducted for 10-year inc-DM were consistent with results for pr-OS for prognostic value of Sarculator predictions and Choi tumour response. InterpretationSarculator identifies variations in outcomes of high-risk STS treated with perioperative chemotherapy and improve prognostic classification, which is also associated with different patterns of tumour response, an outcome that further stratifies survival particularly for patients predicted at higher risk. Future trials investigating neoadjuvant chemotherapy should consider prognostic tool for selecting patients to be enrolled. Trial registration numberEuropean Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials No. 2004-003979-36.

Immunotherapy: A New (and Old) Approach to Treatment of Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcomas.

Immunotherapy is a promising treatment paradigm that is gaining acceptance for the management of several cancers, including melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. There is a long history of immunotherapy in the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas, although with little success. It is important to understand past failures to develop future immunotherapy treatment strategies with an improved possibility of success. This article reviews the history of and current state of immunotherapy research in the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas, with particular regard to vaccine trials, adoptive T-cell therapy, and immune checkpoint blockade.

Neoadjuvant treatment: a novel standard?

The aim of this study was to summarize developments in the adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy of high-risk adult-type soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The role of adjuvant/neaodjuvant chemotherapy in these patients is controversial, with a meta-analysis suggesting a 10% survival benefit. Recently, a randomized controlled trial in high-risk STS of extremities and trunk wall showed a 20% improvement in progression-free and overall survival after three preoperative cycles of epirubicin along with ifosfamide compared with a histology-tailored chemotherapy. This study has major strengths, including the selected high-risk population and the full-dose chemotherapy regimen. However, this was an interim analysis with a short follow-up in a trial originally planned to test the superiority of a histology-driven chemotherapy. As to high-risk patient selection, the new AJCC TNM staging system adds primary tumour site as a stratifying factor, while available prognostic nomograms account for additional criteria. A recent trial strengthens perioperative chemotherapy as an option for high-risk STS patients within a shared decision-making process. If the final analysis of this trial confirms the currently observed progression-free and overall survival benefits, perioperative chemotherapy may become a standard. Also, new staging tools may refine our ability to select patients with a risk high enough as to deserve chemotherapy.

The sarculator stratified prognosis of patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of extremities and trunk wall treated with perioperative chemotherapy in a randomised controlled trial (RCT).

11016 Background: Patients with extremity and trunk wall STS with high malignancy grade and size larger than 5cm are considered at high risk of death, but in fact this risk varies broadly depending on histologic subtype and size. The Sarculator, a nomogram for STS, can improve prognostic assessment of these patients. This tool was evaluated for stratifying risk of distant metastasis (DM) and overall survival (OS) in a RCT investigating perioperative chemotherapy. Methods: High-risk STS patients were randomly assigned to receive either three cycles of preoperative chemotherapy with epirubicin (120 mg/m2) and ifosfamide (9 g/m2) or the same three preoperative cycles followed by two further postoperative cycles. The Sarculator was used to stratify patient risk according to predicted 10-year cumulative incidence of DM and OS rates. Results: The Sarculator identified three different prognostic groups of patients at low (N = 101), intermediate (N = 102), and high (N = 107) risk. Cumulative incidence of DM was 0.26 (SE: 0.04), 0.31 (SE: 0.05), and 0.48 (SE: 0.05) for low, intermediate, and high risk patients, respectively. Similarly, OS rates were 0.78 (95%CI 0.68-0.85), 0.63 (95%CI 0.53-0.72), and 0.42 (95%CI 0.32-0.52), respectively. Patients in the low risk group were at significantly lower risk of death compared to those in the intermediate (HR 0.51, 95%CI 0.34-0.78, P = 0.002) and high (HR 0.28, 95%CI 0.17-0.46, P &lt; 0.001) risk groups. Subgroup analysis performed by jointly considering these three groups and the two study arms did not identify statistically significant survival differences between the treatment arms within each risk category. Conclusions: Patients with high-risk STS included in this RCT were not a homogeneous population. The Sarculator identified different risk groups for DM and OS even in patients included in a RCT investigating perioperative treatments. This tool should be considered for redefining high-risk STS and stratifying patient risk in future RCT investigating perioperative chemotherapy. Clinical trial information: 2004-003979-36.

Abstract A19: Systems biology approach predicts the diagnostic value of T effector: T regulatory cell ratio in clinical response to combined radiation/immunotherapy of high-risk soft tissue sarcoma

Abstract Background: The combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer treatment has regained momentum since the recent remarkable clinical success in immune checkpoint strategies. The attraction comes from the concept that radiation-induced tumor cell death will release tumor antigens capable of activating dendritic cells to establish long term adaptive T cell immunity against the tumor. However, such combination trials are difficult to interpret, especially when proper markers are not available that predict clinical response. Using a set of data published on patients with high risk soft tissue sarcoma who were treated with intratumoral administration of autologous dendritic cells and local fractionated external beam radiation, we developed a mathematical model examining the levels of T effector cells and T regulatory cells that were reported in each patient who did or did not demonstrate a clinical response. Materials and Methods: The Phase II clinical trial included 15 Grade 2 high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients who received radiation/dendritic cell therapy, of which there were 5 responders and 10 non-responders. With the T cell phenotypes that were found in the patients and the accompanying clinical outcome, we designed a mathematical model of tolerogenic and immunogenic tumor subpopulations and their interactions with the host immune system, comprised of T effector and T regulatory cells. Tumor response to the investigational radio-immunotherapy protocol is simulated. The model is calibrated to fit patient-specific pre- and post-treatment response dynamics using computational genetic algorithms. Cell kinetics that separate responder and non-responder cohorts are also categorized. Results: The mathematical model can be calibrated to reproduce patient-specific tumor volume and immune cell number evolution during treatment. Comparison of responder and non-responder cohorts reveals that immune T effector cell recruitment and efficacy are determinants of treatment response. In contrast, tumor growth dynamics were indistinguishable between individual patients and patient cohorts. Increased T effector to T regulatory cell ratio at diagnosis (2.74 in responders vs. 1.88 in non-responders) emerges as a prognostic marker for treatment response. Conclusion: A calibrated quantitative tumor model may help to identify mechanisms that determine treatment response. Current clinical practice predicts treatment outcome predominantly based on tumor characteristics. Our initial work indicates that tumor growth dynamics are indistinguishable between high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients that respond to radio-immunotherapy and those who do not. Instead, our preliminary studies suggest that the host response to the growing tumor – the quantity and quality of the immune response in particular – may serve exclusively as a prognostic marker. This suggests a departure from the current paradigm to derive prognostic factors from genetic characterization of tumor biopsy samples. Citation Format: Sotiris Prokopiou, Jan Poleszczuk, Mark Robertson-Tessi, Kimberly A. Luddy, Mayer Fishman, Eduardo Moros, Julie Y. Djeu, Heiko Enderling. Systems biology approach predicts the diagnostic value of T effector: T regulatory cell ratio in clinical response to combined radiation/immunotherapy of high-risk soft tissue sarcoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy: A New Chapter; December 1-4, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2015;3(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A19.

Long-Term Clinical Responses of Neoadjuvant Dendritic Cell Infusions and Radiation in Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

Purpose. Patients with large >5 cm, high-grade resectable soft tissue sarcomas (STS) have the highest risk of distant metastases. Previously we have shown that dendritic cell (DC) based vaccines show consistent immune responses. Methods. This was a Phase I single institution study of neoadjuvant radiation with DC injections on 18 newly diagnosed high-risk STS patients. Neoadjuvant treatment consisted of 50 Gy of external beam radiation (EBRT), given in 25 fractions delivered five days/week, combined with four intratumoral injections of DCs followed by complete resection. The primary endpoint was to establish the immunological response to neoadjuvant therapy and obtain data on its clinical safety and outcomes. Results. There were no unexpected toxicities or serious adverse events. Twelve out of 18 (67%) patients were alive, of which an encouraging 11/18 (61%) were alive with no systemic recurrence over a period of 2–8 years. Favorable immunological responses correlated with clinical responses in some cases. Conclusions. This study provides clinical support to using dendritic cell injections along with radiation in sarcomas, which when used optimally in combination can help clinical outcomes in soft tissue sarcoma. Study registration number is NCT00365872.

Oncological outcome of primary non‐metastatic soft tissue sarcoma treated by neoadjuvant isolated limb perfusion and tumor resection

Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) is an effective limb salvage strategy in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) where surgery alone would result in significant functional morbidity or mandate an amputation. Most previous reports of patients undergoing ILP focus on limb salvage rates rather than local and distant relapse rates. Here, we report the oncological outcome of sarcoma patients treated by ILP and surgery. Data were retrieved from prospective ILP databases from two ILP centers following similar ILP techniques and surgical approaches. Only patients with primary, intermediate, or high grade non-metastatic STS were included. The cohort comprised 90 patients. Median follow-up was 39 months (range 3-165 months). Median tumor size was 11 cm (range 5-34). Twenty of 90 (22%) patients underwent prior debulking surgery outside the centers. Twenty-nine of 90 (32%) had postoperative irradiation. Four of 90 underwent amputation either related to local recurrence or irresectability, 4 of 90 underwent amputation for treatment-related complications. Fifteen of 83 (18%) patients had local recurrences after ILP and limb sparing surgery, 39 of 90 (43%) developed metastatic disease. Twenty-two of 90 (24%) died of disease. Preoperative ILP and tumor resection resulted in good local control in a cohort of high-risk STS patients.

Combination of External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) With Intratumoral Injection of Dendritic Cells as Neo-Adjuvant Treatment of High-Risk Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients

The goal of this study was to determine the effect of combination of intratumoral administration of dendritic cells (DC) and fractionated external beam radiation (EBRT) on tumor-specific immune responses in patients with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). Seventeen patients with large (>5 cm) high-grade STS were enrolled in the study. They were treated in the neoadjuvant setting with 5,040 cGy of EBRT, split into 28 fractions and delivered 5 days per week, combined with intratumoral injection of 10(7) DCs followed by complete resection. DCs were injected on the second, third, and fourth Friday of the treatment cycle. Clinical evaluation and immunological assessments were performed. The treatment was well tolerated. No patient had tumor-specific immune responses before combined EBRT/DC therapy; 9 patients (52.9%) developed tumor-specific immune responses, which lasted from 11 to 42 weeks. Twelve of 17 patients (70.6%) were progression free after 1 year. Treatment caused a dramatic accumulation of T cells in the tumor. The presence of CD4(+) T cells in the tumor positively correlated with tumor-specific immune responses that developed following combined therapy. Accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells but not regulatory T cells negatively correlated with the development of tumor-specific immune responses. Experiments with (111)In labeled DCs demonstrated that these antigen presenting cells need at least 48 h to start migrating from tumor site. Combination of intratumoral DC administration with EBRT was safe and resulted in induction of antitumor immune responses. This suggests that this therapy is promising and needs further testing in clinical trials design to assess clinical efficacy.

Abstract 2411: Intratumoral dendritic cell vaccine as neo-adjuvant immunotherapy of high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT): Prospective phase I/II clinical trial

Abstract Cell death inducing external beam radiation (EBRT) combined with experimental intratumoral injection of dendritic cells (DC) showed promise by initiating anti-autologous tumor-cell immune responses in mice. Here we performed first clinical trial testing this hypothesis in patients with large high-grade soft tissue sarcomas (STS). This type of cancer has a significant (&amp;gt;50%) risk of progressing to distant metastases. Patients with clinical stage T2N0M0 or T3N0M0 high-grade STS of the extremity/trunk/chest wall were treated with standard neo-adjuvant EBRT 5040 cGy / 180 cGy coordinated with experimental DC therapy consisting of DC progenitor apheresis, ex-vivo expansion and culture, and 4 × intratumoral injections of 10 million DC. Autologous DC product was performed according to standardized GMP laboratory procedures. T cell function was assessed by EliSpot (measuring IFN-γ production) and proliferation (thymidine uptake) in addition to phenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by flow cytometry. Clinically, targeted accrual was reached with eighteen patients completing neo-adjuvant EBRT with experimental intratumoral DC therapy. All patients have completed full immunologic assessment. Ten patients (56%) were induced to produce significant immune responses against autologous tumor cell lysates or/and survivin antigens as determined using ELISPOT assays or cell proliferation. Interestingly, some of these responses persisted even 30 weeks after start of treatment. Extensive post treatment T cell infiltration was detected within tumors. No clinical toxicity has been observed. Suggestive clinical outcome on 14 patients followed 1 year reveal progress in 1/7 patients with robust response (detected at more than one time point), and 4/7 patients with weak (detected at one time point at the beginning of the study) or no response respectively. Thus, this data is promising for planning future combined treatment approaches as radiation therapy/immunotherapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2411.

At the Confluence of Radiation Therapy and Immunotherapy: External Beam Radiation (EBRT) with Intratumoral Injection of Dendritic Cells as Neoadjuvant Treatment of High-risk Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients

Patients with large (>5 cm) high-grade soft tissue sarcomas (STS) have a significant (>50%) risk of systemic disease following standard radiation and surgery. Combination of external beam radiation (EBRT) with experimental intratumoral injection of dendritic cells (DC) as neoadjuvant treatment of high-risk STS patients adds innovative immunotherapy to standard treatment.

Prognostic factors in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with high-risk soft tissue sarcoma (STS) treated by adjuvant chemotherapy: A study based on two pooled European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) clinical trials

10573 Background: We conducted a retrospective study pooling data from two clinical trials in high risk STS patients with the objective to compare two different age groups: 15 - 29 years (AYA population) and ≥ 30 years. The aim was to determine prognostic factors for the AYA population. Methods: Patients selected for analysis were treated in two randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy in STS (EORTC 62771 and 62931). A total of 793 patients were included with a median follow-up (FU) of 8.74 years (AYA population: n = 161, median FU 9.46 years; patients ≥ 30 years: n = 632, median FU 8.62 years). Study endpoints were overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). The variables of the multivariate analysis were gender, subtype and grade, tumor size and localization (limb vs. other), absence or presence of local recurrence and treatment (control arm vs. adjuvant chemotherapy). Results: Patients’ characteristics were globally similar with two exceptions, histological subtype (p = 0.0043) and tumor size (p &lt; .0001). The commonest sarcoma subtype in the AYA population was synovial sarcoma (29 %), whereas leiomyosarcoma (18 %), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH, 16 %) and liposarcoma (15 %) were more frequent in patients ≥ 30 years. For OS, independent favorable prognostic factors were low grade and small tumor size for both groups; radical resection and MFH or liposarcoma subtype were factors of favorable prognosis for patients ≥ 30 years only. For RFS, favorable prognostic factors were small tumor size and low grade for both groups; tumor location in the extremities was a factor of favorable prognosis for the AYA population only, whereas radical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy treatment were favorable factors for patients ≥ 30 years only. Conclusions: On the basis of these data, significant differences could be found concerning prognostic factors between the AYA population and older patients. Interestingly, adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved RFS only in patients ≥ 30 years. The results may have further implications on the treatment of STS patients in different age groups as well as the design of future clinical trials. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Diagnostic and prognostic gene expression signatures in 177 soft tissue sarcomas: hypoxia-induced transcription profile signifies metastatic potential

BackgroundSoft tissue sarcoma (STS) diagnosis is challenging because of a multitude of histopathological subtypes, different genetic characteristics, and frequent intratumoral pleomorphism. One-third of STS metastasize and current risk-stratification is suboptimal, therefore, novel diagnostic and prognostic markers would be clinically valuable. We assessed the diagnostic and prognostic value of array-based gene expression profiles using 27 k cDNA microarrays in 177, mainly high-grade, STS of 13 histopathological subtypes.ResultsUnsupervised analysis resulted in two major clusters – one mainly containing STS characterized by type-specific genetic alterations and the other with a predominance of genetically complex and pleomorphic STS. Synovial sarcomas, myxoid/round-cell liposarcomas, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors clustered tightly within the former cluster and discriminatory signatures for these were characterized by developmental genes from the EGFR, FGFR, Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog, RAR and KIT signaling pathways. The more pleomorphic STS subtypes, e.g. leiomyosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma/undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and dedifferentiated/pleomorphic liposarcoma, were part of the latter cluster and were characterized by relatively heterogeneous profiles, although subclusters herein were identified. A prognostic signature partly characterized by hypoxia-related genes was identified among 89 genetically complex pleomorphic primary STS and could, in a multivariate analysis including established prognostic markers, independently predict the risk of metastasis with a hazard ratio of 2.2 (P = 0.04).ConclusionDiagnostic gene expression profiles linking signaling pathways to the different STS subtypes were demonstrated and a hypoxia-induced metastatic profile was identified in the pleomorphic, high-grade STS. These findings verify diagnostic utility and application of expression data for improved selection of high-risk STS patients.

Indication for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in adult patients with high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas

9578 Background: To determine the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for local tumour control and overall survival in patients with high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas (tumour size ≥ 5 cm, G II/III, extracompartimental and deep localisation) we have analyzed the clinical outcome in 25 patients. Methods: Patients with high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas were treated with four cycles of etoposide 125 mg/m2/day 1+4, ifosfamide 1500 mg/m2/day 1–4 and doxorubicin 50 mg/m2/day 1 (EIA regimen) followed by definitive surgery with or without postoperative radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. 21 patients received chemotherapy in a combined neoadjuvant/adjuvant clinical setting; eighteen of them completed adjuvant chemotherapy. Four patients received chemotherapy in an adjuvant setting only. Results: The objective response rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy assessable in 21 patients was 43%. Including NED (n = 7) and partial remissions (n = 3), the radiographic response rate was 47.6% with additional 42.9% stable diseases (n = 9). Surgery was performed in two patients before completing the four neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles because of disease progression. Median overall survival for all patients from the time of first diagnosis was 21.6+ months [range: 8 - 50] and from the start of treatment 20.5+ months [range: 8 - 49]; median progression-free survival after start of treatment was 18.6+ months [range: 1 - 49]. After completion of chemotherapy, R0-resection could be performed in 13 of 21 patients (60%). At completion of entire treatment, 21 of 25 patients (84%) had NED after R0- and R1-resection. Two patients showed no disease progression after R2-resection and are alive with disease (AWD) 21 and 18 months after start of treatment. Two patients died of disease (DOD) ten and eight months after first diagnosis due to metastases. Conclusions: The high proportion of R0-resections supports the idea of a tumour downstaging after neoadjuvant treatment. Our data support the hypothesis that neoadjuvant chemotherapy might be beneficial as an integral part in the treatment strategy of high-risk soft-tissue sarcoma patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Prognostic factors in soft tissue sarcoma.

The ability to accurately define the prognosis for patients with soft tissue sarcoma is a continuing challenge. Classically, this has been accomplished through assessments of tumor size, histologic grade, location, and the presence of nodal or distant metastases. These criteria are the basis of the currently utilized American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. However, several other markers have been identified which have prognostic value. These newer markers are useful additions to the AJCC system. Such markers may not only improve our ability to prognosticate at diagnosis, but may also prove useful in selecting high-risk soft tissue sarcoma patients who could benefit from adjuvant therapy. This review will focus upon prognostic factors for patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STS). First, the components of the current AJCC staging system will be discussed; second, a summary of clinical prognostic factors which are not part of the staging system; and third, a discussion of newer and potential prognostic factors for STS patients.