Patricia LoRusso, DO, professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), associate cancer center director, Experimental Therapeutics, Yale School of Medicine, discusses the benefit of genetic sequencing in soft tissue sarcomas.

Because there are many different subtypes of sarcomas, it is a unique disease, LoRusso says. Oftentimes, this can create a challenge for clinicians to identify the exact subtype of a specific patient’s sarcoma, LoRusso adds. However, genetic sequencing of tumors has helped better identify sarcoma subtypes, and this can be done along with other routine pathologic assays that are conducted for patients, LoRusso explains.

-amplified dedifferentiated soft tissue sarcomas, there is not a preferred standard of care, though anthracycline is considered one of primary treatments, LoRusso continues. However, these patients have limited treatment options, and they are often referred to an early phase clinical trial, LoRusso concludes.

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Patricia LoRusso, DO, discusses the benefit of genetic sequencing in soft tissue sarcomas.


Dr. LoRusso on the Benefit of Genetic Sequencing in Sarcomas

Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, Professor of Medicine and Associate Director of Innovative Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses taking a personalized medicine approach to treat melanoma patients whose tumors do not have BRAF alterations.

A trial, funded by both Stand Up 2 Cancer and the Melanoma Research Alliance investigated the use of next-generation sequencing technology to examine both the normal and cancer genome of patients with metastatic melanoma who have progressed on immunotherapy or can not use immunotherapeutic intervention.

Based on the results of the complex sequencing, treatment regimens are designed based on the individual molecular signatures of each patient’s tumor.

Dr. Patricia LoRusso on Next-Generation Sequencing Benefit in Metastatic Melanoma Treatment 

Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, Associate Director of Innovative Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses the Dream Team Melanoma trial, which is investigating using personalized medicine to treat non-V600E melanoma subtypes.

All the patients on the trial have progressed on immunotherapy and are now in need of additional treatment. Currently, there are no targeted therapies approved by the FDA for this subset of patients.

By using genotyping, individualized treatments are selected for each of theses patient based on their tumor, explains LoRusso. This approach is predicted to be more effective than the standard of care.

Patricia M. LoRusso, DO

Articles

Dr. LoRusso on the Benefit of Genetic Sequencing in Sarcomas

Dr. Patricia LoRusso on Next-Generation Sequencing Benefit in Metastatic Melanoma Treatment

Dr. LoRusso on Personalized Medicine for Melanoma