Trabectedin and Eribulin: Where Do They Fit in the Management of Soft Tissue Sarcoma?

Abstract

OPINION STATEMENT:

Trabectedin and eribulin are two agents that have been recently approved for the treatment of specific soft tissue sarcoma subtypes. They have proved to be a much-needed line of additional treatment for patients with these rare tumors, but their activity remains admittedly modest in most cases. Further exploitation of these novel agents is likely to require a more granular understanding of the salient mechanisms of action. For example, if as some studies suggest, eribulin derives its benefit from restructuring of tumor vasculature to improve efficacy of subsequent lines of therapy, then patients may benefit from its use earlier in the treatment pathway. The sequencing of trabectedin with other agents is also worth examining. In a disease like myxoid liposarcoma, consideration should be given to using trabectedin before other salvage regimens like gemcitabine and docetaxel, given its tolerability and excellent efficacy against this sarcoma subtype. Also, to be further investigated is the use of trabectedin in sarcoma subtypes which were excluded from the phase III study, but in which activity has been documented in earlier trials and subsequent reports. Combinations of trabectedin with other agents, particularly doxorubicin, have been explored, but the data to date do not support the routine use of these regimens.

• Authors: Ravin Ratan, Shreyaskumar R Patel
• Journal: Current treatment options in oncology (Curr Treat Options Oncol) Vol. 18 Issue 6 Pg. 34 (06 2017) ISSN: 1534-6277 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28534249 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Dioxoles
• Furans
• Ketones
• Tetrahydroisoquinolines
• Trabectedin
• eribulin

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Dioxoles (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Furans (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Ketones (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Molecular Targeted Therapy
• Sarcoma (diagnosis, drug therapy, metabolism, mortality)
• Tetrahydroisoquinolines (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Trabectedin
• Treatment Outcome