The Midwest Sarcoma Trials Partnership: Bridging Academic and Community Networks in a Collaborative Approach to Sarcoma

Abstract

The treatment of sarcoma necessitates a collaborative approach, given its rarity and complex management. At a single institution, multidisciplinary teams of specialists determine and execute treatment plans involving surgical, radiation, and medical management. Treatment guidelines for systemic therapies in advanced or nonresectable soft tissue sarcoma have advanced in recent years as new immunotherapies and targeted therapies become available. Collaboration between institutions is necessary to facilitate accrual to clinical trials. Here, we describe the success of the Midwest Sarcoma Trials Partnership (MWSTP) in creating a network encompassing large academic centers and local community sites. We propose a new model utilizing online platforms to expand the reach of clinical expertise for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

Prices and Trends in FDA-Approved Medications for Sarcomas

“…What is remarkable is that in the decade prior, there was only a single FDA approval within this spectrum of diagnosis, pazopanib for non-adipocytic soft tissue sarcomas based on the PALETTE study [45]. Clearly, these approvals have been the result of dramatic changes in the ability of cooperative groups to leverage their resources and expertise to advance the field and therefore the treatment of many patients with these diseases [46].…”

On the Virtues of “Team Medicine”—A City of Hope Perspective

“…Similarly, the article by Heater et al [3] describes a new model utilizing online platforms to expand the reach of clinical expertise in the treatment of advanced soft-tissue sarcoma. Likewise, the paper by Sattler et al [4] discusses the genetic/non-genetic duality in EGFR inhibitor drug resistance and underscores how team medicine approaches, wherein clinical developments work hand in hand with drug development research, drive potential opportunities for combination therapy.…”