Sarcoma management demands coordinated, subtype-specific care and treatment sensitivities delivered by a dedicated multidisciplinary team.
A coordinated, team-based approach to sarcoma management, from core needle biopsy and molecularly integrated pathology to neoadjuvant treatment sequencing and tumor board–driven decision-making, improves outcomes for patients with this disease, according to Breelyn Wilky, MD, and Steven Thorpe, MD, FACS.
In recognition of Sarcoma Awareness Month, which is observed annually in July, OncLive® spoke with Wilky and Thorpe about the questions they most frequently encounter from patients and referring physicians regarding soft tissue and bone sarcomas.
Wilky is an associate professor of medicine-medical oncology, the director of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, the deputy associate director for Clinical Research, and The Cheryl Bennett and McNeilly Family Endowed Chair in Sarcoma Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora.
Thorpe is an associate professor of orthopedics and orthopedic surgical oncology, as well as chief of Musculoskeletal Oncology, at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.
Q: When should a patient with a suspicious mass be referred to a sarcoma center?
A: Referral should ideally occur before a tissue diagnosis is established rather than after, Thorpe said.
“If there is concern or suspicion of the possibility of a sarcoma based on imaging features, growth of a mass, and location, then I would suggest that even before diagnosis, that patient be referred and seek out their diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment at a sarcoma center with a multidisciplinary group focused on the management of these rare tumors,” he explained.
Consolidating the workup, diagnosis, staging, and treatment at a specialized center directs the appropriate diagnostic workup from the outset and shortens the interval from biopsy to the start of treatment, he added.
As a practical screening rule of thumb, “a mass that’s larger than a golf ball in the extremities or trunk, and especially one that has grown over a short period, raises concern,” Thorpe noted. Such masses warrant an MRI with gadolinium contrast, followed by referral to an appropriate center for further workup.
Read full interview: https://www.onclive.com/view/sarcoma-experts-answer-faqs-about-the-diagnosis-and-multidisciplinary-management-of-sarcoma
