Combination of Genomic Landsscape and 3D Culture Functional Assays Bridges Sarcoma Phenotype to Target and Immunotherapy

Risk Stratification with Sarculator and MSKCC in Patients with Primary and Secondary Angiosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Sarculator and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomograms are freely available risk prediction scores for surgically treated patients with primary sarcomas. Due to the rarity of angiosarcomas, these scores have only been tested on small cohorts of angiosarcoma patients. In neither the original patient cohort upon which the Sarculator is based nor in subsequent studies was a distinction made between primary and secondary angiosarcomas, as the app is intended to be applied to primary sarcomas. Therefore, the objective of our investigation was to assess whether the Sarculator reveals a difference in prognosis and whether such differentiation aligns with actual clinical data.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-one patients with primary or secondary soft tissue angiosarcoma, treated at our Sarcoma Center from 2001 to 2023, were included in the study. Actual survival rates were compared with nomogram-derived data for predicted 5-year survival (Sarculator), as well as 4-, 8- and 12-year sarcoma-specific death probabilities (MSKCC). Harrell's c-index was utilized to assess predictive validity.

RESULTS

In total, 31 patients were analyzed. The actual overall 5-year survival was 22.57% with a predicted 5-year survival rate of 25.97%, and the concordance index was 0.726 for the entire cohort. The concordance index results from MSKCC for angiosarcoma patients were below 0.7 indicating limited predictive accuracy in this cohort, particularly when compared to Sarculator.

SUMMARY

Nomogram-based predictive models are valuable tools in clinical practice for rapidly assessing prognosis. They can streamline the decision-making process for adjuvant treatments and improve patient counselling especially in the treatment of rare and complicated tumor entities such as angiosarcomas.

The Impact of Nanomedicine on Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treated by Radiotherapy and/or Hyperthermia: A Review

This article presents a comprehensive review of nanoparticle-assisted treatment approaches for soft tissue sarcoma (STS). STS, a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal-origin tumors with aggressive behavior and low overall survival rates, necessitates the exploration of innovative therapeutic interventions. In contrast to conventional treatments like surgery, radiotherapy (RT), hyperthermia (HT), and chemotherapy, nanomedicine offers promising advancements in STS management. This review focuses on recent research in nanoparticle applications, including their role in enhancing RT and HT efficacy through improved drug delivery systems, novel radiosensitizers, and imaging agents. Reviewing the current state of nanoparticle-assisted therapies, this paper sheds light on their potential to revolutionize soft tissue sarcoma treatment and improve patient therapy outcomes.