Dr. Gronchi on the Rationale for the TRASTS Study in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Alessandro Gronchi, MD, chair, Sarcoma Service, IRCCS Foundation National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy, discusses the rationale for the phase 2 TRASTS study in soft tissue sarcoma.

During the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program, findings from the international, prospective TRASTS study revealed that the combination of trabectedin (Yondelis) and radiation therapy was feasible and well tolerated in the preoperative setting in patients with myxoid liposarcoma. 

The study was a collaborative effort between Spanish, Italian, and French Sarcoma research groups.

Typically, patients with myxoid liposarcoma are young with a median age of around 40, explains Gronchi.

Moreover, they are generally given anthracycline-based chemotherapy, which while efficacious, is associated with significant toxicity including hair loss and potential cardiac disease, Gronchi says.

Findings from the study showed that trabectedin plus concurrent radiation therapy may provide an alternative regimen to anthracycline-based chemotherapy for patients with high-risk localized myxoid liposarcoma, concludes Gronchi.