Dr. Gibbs on the Lack of Treatment Options in Sarcoma

C. Parker Gibbs Jr, MD, Eugene L. Jewett professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, chief medical officer, University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, division chief of Musculoskeletal Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, discusses the lack of treatment options for patients with soft tissue and bone sarcomas.

Though multiple agents are currently in the pipeline, few advancements beyond cytotoxic chemotherapy have been made for patients with sarcomas, says Gibbs. For nearly 3 decades, doxorubicin alone or in combination with other chemotherapy agents has remained the standard of care for patients with soft tissue and bone sarcoma, explains Gibbs.

However, immunotherapy may hold promise for a select number of these patients. Although PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have not elicited significant benefit for patients with sarcomas, immunotherapy may advance the science and open a door to a more effective therapy or regimen, concludes Gibbs.