NEW OPTION FOR MANAGEMENT OF HIGH-RISK SOFT TISSUE SARCOMA OF THE LIMB International, multi-centre sarcoma trial shows benefits of integrating immunotherapy with radiotherapy and surgery
The Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA) is the peak body for the sarcoma community. ANZSA aims to improve outcomes for sarcoma patients through research, education and awareness of sarcomas and related tumours.
ANZSA fosters effective collaborations across multi-disciplinary teams (MDT), which comprise of specialist health professionals (including pathologists, radiologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and paediatric oncologists) working together to discuss sarcoma and related tumours cases, and how to best manage treatment and care.
Professor Angela Hong MBBS, MMed, PhD, FRANZCR is the co-Chair of ANZSA’s Scientific Advisory Committee and a Professor at Sydney Medical School of the University of Sydney. She is a radiation oncologist and has been a member of the Multidisciplinary Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital/Chris O’Brien Lifehouse for the past 15 years.
As a clinician scientist, her research focuses on developing innovative radiation therapy technique and combination treatments to improve the outcome for patients with sarcoma.
Professor Hong spoke to Australian Health Journal about sarcoma and a recently concluded international, multicentre trial, that could lead to a new potential option for patients grappling with high-risk sarcoma of the limb.
Soft tissue sarcoma, a rare aggressive cancer originating in connective tissues, can affect both children and adults. It is particularly challenging to conduct clinical trials due to its rarity, However a recently concluded international collaborative Phase II clinical trial SARC032 has shown groundbreaking findings into the advantages of Immunotherapy for patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcoma of the limb
The trial was led by the Sarcoma Alliance Research Collaboration (SARC) in the United States and the Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA) in Australia. The Australian participating sites in the trial were Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Princess Alexandra Hospital.
SARC032 is the first completed randomised clinical trial of its kind and has demonstrated compelling evidence to integrate immunotherapy, with the standard treatment regimen of radiotherapy and surgery for patients with grade 2 or 3, stage III soft tissue sarcoma of the limb.
Professor Angela Hong, Australia’s Principal Investigator for the trial, believes these results will be beneficial for patients for this specific stage of sarcoma.
“This is a significant milestone. The integration of immunotherapy into standard treatment protocols heralds a new era in sarcoma management, offering patients and clinicians a potent tool in the battle against this formidable disease.”
-
FULL FEATURE Consumers and communities as agents of health care change and improvement
Policymakers, health administrators and clinicians must learn and embrace new ways to harness the transformative role consumers, community members and carers can play. Conversely, consumers and communities need support, capability and capacity to engage as equals in policy, research, program and service design. This is necessary if are to be less technocratic and realise the vision where all members of society can live the best life possible.
-
New treatment options under investigation for pelvic organ prolapse
Dr Shayanti Mukherjee, Research Group Head, Translational Tissue Engineering at the with her team at Hudson Institute of Medical Research is developing new ways to prevent and potential cure pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The technology aims to ultimately lead to safer and more effective treatment for women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) using a woman’s own stem cells to boost the effectiveness of a degradable mesh.
-
Australasian College of Paramedicine makes case for multi-disciplinary care
Despite being seen primarily as emergency responders, paramedics have long been providing care in the primary care space. As such, their increased involvement in primary and urgent care is a natural progression that can lead to improved health outcomes for communities. Urgent care clinics, which treat non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, have been a recent introduction. However, when these clinics were initially proposed, paramedics were left out of the opportunity, despite being experts in urgent, acute, unplanned, and unscheduled care. They work in these types of situations every day in the ambulance service and should be utilised in these clinics to improve patient outcomes. Working as part of multidisciplinary teams with doctors and nurses can further enhance the outcomes for local communities.
