Which Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients with Lung Metastases Should not Undergo Pulmonary Resection?

Pulmonary metastasectomy in soft tissue sarcomas: a systematic review

Background

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) tend to metastasis to the lungs. Pulmonary metastasectomy seems to be a common practice always when plausible. The objective of this article was to review systematically the results of a literature search on pulmonary metastasectomy for STSs published in the last ten years and to offer a brief overview about the current practice as well.

Methods

Eight retrospective studies published in the period 2010–2020, which included patients with pulmonary metastases and metastasectomy were selected. Indication for surgery, survival rate and factors influencing survival were the primary outcomes, while further interesting findings in the studies were also collected and evaluated.

Results

Cumulative 1,004 patients participated in these studies. The most common histological types were leiomyosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) and synovial sarcoma, being present together at 60% of the study population. Five-year survival was reported to be in the range from 20–58%, better survival going along with a fewer (preferably one) metastases, longer disease free interval (DFI) and R0 resection in most of the cases.

Conclusions

Complete resection of the metastatic lesions seems to be the most effective treatment for long-term survival, or even achieving cure in selected patients. At selection of the patients amenable for surgery, a high probability of R0 resection, as well as a disease free period of at least 12 months should perhaps bear a higher specific value.

2021 American Thyroid Association Guidelines for Management of Patients with Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare but highly lethal form of thyroid cancer. Since the guidelines for the management of ATC by the American Thyroid Association were first published in 2012, significant clinical and scientific advances have occurred in the field. The aim of these guidelines is to inform clinicians, patients, and researchers on published evidence relating to the diagnosis and management of ATC. Methods: The specific clinical questions and topics addressed in these guidelines were based on prior versions of the guidelines, stakeholder input, and input of the Task Force members (authors of the guideline). Relevant literature was reviewed, including serial PubMed searches supplemented with additional articles. The American College of Physicians Guideline Grading System was used for critical appraisal of evidence and grading strength of recommendations. Results: The guidelines include the diagnosis, initial evaluation, establishment of treatment goals, approaches to locoregional disease (surgery, radiotherapy, targeted/systemic therapy, supportive care during active therapy), approaches to advanced/metastatic disease, palliative care options, surveillance and long-term monitoring, and ethical issues, including end of life. The guidelines include 31 recommendations and 16 good practice statements. Conclusions: We have developed evidence-based recommendations to inform clinical decision-making in the management of ATC. While all care must be individualized, such recommendations provide, in our opinion, optimal care paradigms for patients with ATC.

The Dandelion Dilemma Revisited for Oligoprogression: Treat the Whole Lawn or Weed Selectively?

Oligoprogressive disease is a relatively new clinical concept describing progression at only a few sites of metastasis in patients with otherwise controlled widespread disease. In the era of well-tolerated targeted treatments, resistance inevitably occurs and overcoming this is a challenge. Local ablative therapy for oligoprogressive disease may allow the continuation of systemic treatments by overcoming the few sub-clones that have developed resistance. Stereotactic body radiotherapy is now frequently used in treating oligometastatic disease using ablative doses with minimally invasive techniques and acceptable toxicity. We discuss the current retrospective clinical evidence base supporting the use of local ablative therapy for oligoprogression in metastatic patients on targeted treatments within multiple tumour sites. As there is currently a lack of published prospective data available, the best management for these patients remains unclear. We discuss current trials in recruitment and the potential advancements in treating this group of patients with stereotactic radiotherapy.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in the Management of Oligometastatic Disease

BACKGROUND

The treatment of oligometastatic disease has become common as imaging techniques have advanced and the management of systemic disease has improved. Use of highly targeted, hypofractionated regimens of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is now a primary management option for patients with oligometastatic disease.

METHODS

The properties of SBRT are summarized and the results of retrospective and prospective studies of SBRT use in the management of oligometastases are reviewed. Future directions of SBRT, including optimizing dose and fractionation schedules, are also discussed.

RESULTS

SBRT can deliver highly conformal, dosed radiation treatments for ablative tumors in a few treatment sessions. Phase 1/2 trials and retrospective institutional results support use of SBRT as a treatment option for oligometastatic disease metastasized to the lung, liver, and spine, and SBRT offers adequate toxicity profiles with good rates of local control. Future directions will involve optimizing dose and fractionation schedules for select histologies to improve rates of local control while limiting toxicity to normal structures.

CONCLUSIONS

SBRT offers an excellent management option for patients with oligometastases. However, additional research is still needed to optimize dose and fractionation schedules.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastases

The management of metastatic solid tumours has historically focused on systemic treatment given with palliative intent. However, radical surgical treatment of oligometastases is now common practice in some settings. The development of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), building on improvements in delivery achieved by intensity-modulated and image-guided radiotherapy, now allows delivery of ablative doses of radiation to extracranial sites. Many non-randomised studies have shown that SBRT for oligometastases is safe and effective, with local control rates of about 80%. Importantly, these studies also suggest that the natural history of the disease is changing, with 2-5 year progression-free survival of about 20%. Although complete cure might be possible in a few patients with oligometastases, the aim of SBRT in this setting is to achieve local control and delay progression, and thereby also postpone the need for further treatment. We review published work showing that SBRT offers durable local control and the potential for progression-free survival in non-liver, non-lung oligometastatic disease at a range of sites. However, to test whether SBRT really does improve progression-free survival, randomised trials will be essential.

Pulmonary metastasectomy for sarcoma: a systematic review of reported outcomes in the context of Thames Cancer Registry data

OBJECTIVES

Sarcoma has a predilection to metastasis to the lungs. Surgical excision of these metastases (pulmonary metastasectomy) when possible has become standard practice. We reviewed the published selection and outcome data.

DESIGN

Systematic review of published reports that include survival rates or any other outcome data. Survival data were put in the context of those in a cancer registry.

SETTING

Specialist thoracic surgical centres reporting the selection and outcome for pulmonary metastasectomy in 18 follow-up studies published 1991-2010.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients having one or more of 1357 pulmonary metastasectomy operations performed between 1980 and 2006.

INTERVENTIONS

All patients had surgical pulmonary metastasectomy. A first operation was reported in 1196 patients. Of 1357 patients, 43% had subsequent metastasectomy, some having 10 or more thoracotomies. Three studies were confined to patients having repeated pulmonary metastasectomy.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Survival data to various time points usually 5 years and sometimes 3 or 10 years. No symptomatic or quality of life data were reported.

RESULTS

About 34% and 25% of patients were alive 5 years after a first metastasectomy operation for bone or soft tissues sarcoma respectively. Better survival was reported with fewer metastases and longer intervals between diagnosis and the appearance of metastases. In the Thames Cancer Registry for 1985-1994 and 1995-2004 5 year survival rates for all patients with metastatic sarcoma were 20% and 25% for bone, and for soft tissue sarcoma 13% and 15%.

CONCLUSIONS

The 5 year survival rate among sarcoma patients who are selected to have pulmonary metastasectomy is higher than that observed among unselected registry data for patients with any metastatic disease at diagnosis. There is no evidence that survival difference is attributable to metastasectomy. No data were found on respiratory or any other symptomatic benefit. Given the certain harm associated with thoracotomy, often repeated, better evidence is required.