Erin Murphy, MD, radiation oncologist, Cleveland Clinic, discusses remaining questions with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in pediatric sarcoma.

Findings from a retrospective study of 10 heavily pretreated pediatric patients with metastatic sarcoma showed that combining pazopanib (Votrient) with SBRT was safe and tolerable. 

However, additional research is required to determine the optimal dose of SBRT in this patient population, as well as to identify contributing factors to local control vs failure with SBRT, says Murphy. The current guidelines for utilizing SBRT in patients with pediatric sarcoma are limited, and dosing should likely be individualized based on histology and lesion, concludes Murphy. 

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Erin Murphy, MD, discusses remaining questions with stereotactic body radiotherapy in pediatric sarcoma.  



Dr. Murphy on Remaining Questions With SBRT in Pediatric Sarcoma 

Erin Murphy, MD, radiation oncologist, Cleveland Clinic, discusses the clinical implications of pazopanib (Votrient) plus stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in pediatric sarcoma.

Findings from a retrospective study of 10 heavily pretreated pediatric patients with metastatic sarcoma, including those with bone, lung, and soft tissue metastases, showed that the combination of pazopanib and SBRT was safe and tolerable.

Having a well-tolerated combination of systemic therapy and localized therapy is important for this heavily pretreated population, says Murphy. These patients tend to be among the most fragile and have typically progressed on at least 2 prior regimens before receiving pazopanib, Murphy explains. Because patients have likely had significant bone marrow suppression, utilizing high-dose SBRT is a good option that doesn’t treat a lot of bone marrow, Murphy concludes.

Erin Murphy, MD, discusses the clinical implications of pazopanib plus stereotactic body radiotherapy in pediatric sarcoma.  



Dr. Murphy on the Clinical Implications of Pazopanib Plus SBRT in Pediatric Sarcoma 

Erin Murphy, MD, radiation oncologist, Cleveland Clinic, discusses the utility of pazopanib (Votrient) plus stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in pediatric sarcoma.

Oral pazopanib has been shown to be a safe treatment for pediatric patients with metastatic sarcoma, says Murphy. However, little was known about the efficacy of the agent in combination with localized SBRT. Moreover, such combinations are often met with hesitancy because high-dose radiation therapy and systemic agents could be too toxic for patients, Murphy explains. 

However, findings from a retrospective study of 10 heavily pretreated pediatric patients with metastatic sarcoma showed that combining the TKI with SBRT was safe and tolerable, Murphy says. Moreover, patients with bone, lung, and soft tissue metastases appeared to tolerate the regimen irrespective of the location of treated lesions, concludes Murphy. 

Erin Murphy, MD, discusses the utility of pazopanib plus stereotactic body radiation therapy in pediatric sarcoma.  



Dr. Murphy on the Utility of Pazopanib Plus SBRT in Pediatric Sarcoma 

Erin Murphy, MD, associate staff, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, discusses a study examining prognostic factors of patients with glioma.

The study included a database of more than 600 patients with low-grade glioma who were aged 40 and younger to determine the importance of their molecular features.

Data showed that classic prognostic factors, such as extent of resection, histology, and presentation of seizures and tumor size, still have an impact on prognosis. However, 1p/19q status was not found to have a significant impact on progression-free or overall survival, Murphy explains.

Erin Murphy, MD, associate staff, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, discusses a study examining prognostic factors of patients with glioma. 


Erin Murphy, MD

Articles

Dr. Murphy on Remaining Questions With SBRT in Pediatric Sarcoma

Dr. Murphy on the Clinical Implications of Pazopanib Plus SBRT in Pediatric Sarcoma

Dr. Murphy on the Utility of Pazopanib Plus SBRT in Pediatric Sarcoma

Dr. Murphy on Glioma Prognostic Factors in Younger Patients