Dr. Schlumbrecht on Investigational Treatment Strategies in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma

Matthew P. Schlumbrecht, MD, associate professor and co-director of Cancer Prevention and Control, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, discusses investigational treatment strategies in uterine leiomyosarcoma.

The most exciting agent to enter the paradigm has been the PDGFRα antagonist olaratumab (Lartruvo), says Schlumbrecht. Prior phase II data suggested that the addition of olaratumab to single-agent doxorubicin confers a benefit in both progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). These data led to the subsequent launch of the phase III ANNOUNCE trial. However, a press release stated that the combination failed to meet the study’s primary endpoint of OS. Now, it is unknown whether olaratumab has any role in the treatment of patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Aside from targeted therapies, a lot of research is focused on the potential utility of immune checkpoint inhibitors both as single agents and in combination with chemotherapy, says Schlumbrecht. To date, immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown modest activity at best. Select analyses specific to uterine leiomyosarcoma have shown response rates of 0%, he adds. As such, additional research is focused on ascertaining potential biomarkers that may help direct the field toward fruitful patient selections and combinations.