Pazopanib in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma

Abstract

Patients with advanced metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) have a poor prognosis, and in the last two decades of the 20th century their overall survival has remained unchanged. Improved treatments are needed for these patients and for preventing metastases in earlier stages of disease. Numerous novel agents and new combination regimens are undergoing clinical testing in STS. Some of these agents show promising activity. Pazopanib is one such agent that has undergone Phase II and III evaluations in advanced STS. Pazopanib is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, blocking various signaling pathways, thereby preventing angiogenesis and metastasis, and inhibiting tumor cell growth and survival. In a Phase II study, pazopanib demonstrated activity in patients with advanced leiomyosarcomas, synovial sarcomas and other eligible STSs. This activity was confirmed in a Phase III trial, where pazopanib significantly extended the median progression-free survival versus placebo in a variety of STS subtypes.

Keywords::

• oral angiogenesis inhibitor
• pazopanib
• soft tissue sarcoma
• tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Financial & competing interest disclosure

P Schöffski has received honoraria and research funding and had a consultant role for GlaxoSmithKline. The author has no other 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 apart from those disclosed.

Financial support for independent medical editorial assistance was provided by GlaxoSmithKline. The author thanks J O’Regan (Bingham Mayne and Smith Ltd) for the medical editorial assistance with the manuscript.