New chemotherapeutic strategies for soft tissue sarcomas

Advanced soft-tissue sarcomas are still incurable in the vast majority of p atients. The currently available standard methods of treatment such as surg ery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy have a very modest impact on the n atural history of advanced soft tissue sarcomas. Nevertheless, until new st rategies become widely available and applicable to this disease, we are obl igated to optimize the current resources and make the best use of these mod alities. We discuss the approaches of standard chemotherapy used in a dose- intensive fashion (especially in high-risk patients at an earlier stage), a ttempts to find new drugs with activity in this disease, and tests of the c oncepts of anti-angiogenic and differentiation therapy. To improve cure rat es, patients and physicians must be encouraged to participate in multidisci plinary clinical trials. Semin. Surg. Oncol. 27:47-51, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley -Liss, Inc.