Sarcoma - Alveolar Soft Part and Cardiac

Doctors are working to learn more about ASPS and cardiac sarcoma, ways to prevent them, how to best treat these diseases, and how to provide the best care to people diagnosed with either disease. The following areas of research may include new options for patients through clinical trials. Always talk with your doctor about the diagnostic and treatment options best for you.

Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets the cancer's specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival. Research studies on ASPS include the use of angiogenesis inhibitors, a type of targeted therapy that is focused on stopping angiogenesis, which is the process of making new blood vessels. Because a tumor needs the nutrients found in blood vessels to grow and spread, the goal of anti-angiogenesis therapies is to “starve” the tumor. In a clinical trial, two such drugs are being tested. A drug called cediranib (Recentin) showed promise in blocking the formation of new blood vessels and shrinking patients' tumors, and the drug sunitinib (Sutent) is being tested for people with ASPS. Learn more about targeted treatments.

Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) is designed to boost the body's natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials made either by the body or in a laboratory to bolster, target, or restore immune system function. Immunotherapy is being researched as a treatment for ASPS. Learn more about immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy. New drugs are also being researched for treatment of ASPS.

Autotransplantation. For cardiac sarcoma, researchers are looking at autotransplantation, a procedure where the person's own heart is removed from the body during surgery, so cardiac sarcoma can be more easily removed from the heart. After completely removing the tumor from the heart, the heart is put back into the patient. There is no need for immunosuppressive drugs because the person's own heart is used in the procedure.

Supportive care. Clinical trials are underway to find better ways of reducing symptoms and side effects of current sarcoma treatments in order to improve patients' comfort and quality of life.

Learn more about common statistical terms used in cancer research.

To find clinical trials specific to your diagnosis, talk with your doctor or search online clinical trial databases now.

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