Soft tissue sarcomas are a rare group of cancers arising in muscles, fat, blood vessels, and connective tissues throughout the body. With over 50 subtypes, treatment depends heavily on the specific type, location, and stage. Surgery and radiation remain central, while chemotherapy and newer targeted drugs are used for advanced disease.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing checkpoint inhibitors that help the immune system attack sarcoma, CAR-T cell therapy for synovial sarcoma, drugs targeting specific mutations like NTRK fusions, and combinations of radiation with immune drugs. For rare subtypes like alveolar soft part sarcoma, trials are exploring drugs that cut off blood supply to tumors.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors
Drugs like pembrolizumab and nivolumab show activity in certain sarcoma subtypes, especially when combined with radiation or other immune drugs. Trials are identifying which subtypes respond best.
Targeted fusion therapies
Larotrectinib and entrectinib target NTRK gene fusions found in some sarcomas, with high response rates. Trials are testing similar approaches for other fusion-driven sarcomas.
CAR-T cell therapy
Engineered immune cells targeting the NY-ESO-1 protein are being tested for synovial sarcoma and myxoid liposarcoma. Early trials show responses in people whose disease progressed on standard treatment.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on sarcoma subtype, whether the cancer is localized or metastatic, prior treatments, and sometimes specific genetic mutations.
What types of trials are currently open
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs that block specific mutations or fusions found in your sarcoma subtype, often pills taken daily.
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cells, or combinations of immune drugs, sometimes with radiation.
- Combination trials — Testing chemotherapy combined with targeted drugs or immune drugs to see if the combination works better than either alone.
- Radiation trials — Testing new radiation techniques or timing, often combined with surgery or systemic therapy.
- Observational studies — Collecting tissue samples and tracking outcomes to better understand rare sarcoma subtypes and what predicts treatment response.
Recently added Soft Tissue Sarcoma trials
Molecular and Clinical Studies of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors
The goal of this observational study is to learn whether tumors of bone and soft tissue can be sorted into groups by their genes. Today these tumors are named mainly by how they look under a microscope. There are more than 150 names in use. The same tumor can be given different names by different doctors. The study includes people of any age with a bone or soft tissue tumor. All of them had tissue sampled at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can tests of a tumor's genes sort these tumors into clearer groups than the names used today? How often does a tumor's gene group differ from the name it was given at diagnosis? Can a computer program tell these groups apart from scanned pictures of the tissue? Researchers will compare the groups found by the gene tests with the diagnoses given at the time. They will also look at how each group did over the years that followed. This shows which way of sorting tumors better matches what happened to participants. Participants will not have extra visits, tests, or treatment for this study. The study does not change anyone's care. Researchers will: Use tumor tissue that was already taken as part of regular care Read the DNA and RNA in the tumor, which carry its genetic instructions Read the chemical marks on the tumor's DNA that switch genes on and off Scan the glass slides of the tissue into digital pictures Collect facts about treatment and health from medical records Participants who are newly diagnosed will also be asked for a blood sample. Blood shows which gene changes a person was born with and which ones started in the tumor. If the study finds a gene change that matters for a participant's care, the study team tells the treating doctors through normal hospital routines.
Complete diagnostic tests for lymphoma and Castleman disease
Persons living with HIV (PLWH) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), lymphadenopathy often portends one of a number of life-threatening diseases including tuberculosis, lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman disease (MCD). Overcoming these delays and missed diagnoses requires new approaches to identify lymphoma and MCD.
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