Trabectedin for the management of soft-tissue sarcoma

Abstract

Trabectedin is a new marine-derived compound that binds the DNA minor groove and interacts with proteins of the DNA-repair machinery. Trabectedin has shown promising single-agent activity in pretreated patients with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) and ovarian and breast cancer; combination with various other chemotherapeutic drugs is feasible. Toxicities are mainly hematological and hepatic, with grade 3–4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia observed in approximately 50 and 20% of patients, respectively, and grade 3–4 elevation of liver transaminases observed in 35–50% of patients treated with trabectedin. Trabectedin obtained regulatory approval by the EMEA and in other countries for the treatment of STS patients after failure of all available standard-of-care chemotherapy. Current research focuses on the identification of predictive factors for patients treated with trabectedin as well as the development of other combinations.

Keywords::

• chemotherapy
• DNA repair
• drug development
• sarcoma

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.