Dr Wagner or the Potential Value of Immunotherapy in Angiosarcoma

Michael J. Wagner, MD, assistant professor, University of Washington School of Medicine and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, explains how immunotherapy may be a promising treatment approach for patients with angiosarcoma.

There is a significant unmet medical need for new treatments in angiosarcoma, according to Wagner. There is no established standard of care for the disease, and efficacy of existing options is not as strong as desired, Wagner says.

Findings from small studies and case reports suggest that immunotherapy could address that unmet need, Wagner adds. For example, Wagner led the phase 2 DART trial (NCT02834013) evaluating ipilimumab (Yervoy) in combination with nivolumab (Opdivo) for patients with metastatic or unresectable angiosarcoma.

One-quarter of patients in the trial responded to treatment, according to Wagner, who expresses excitement for what these findings could mean for the field going forward.