Dr. Murphy on the Utility of Pazopanib Plus SBRT in Pediatric Sarcoma

Erin Murphy, MD, radiation oncologist, Cleveland Clinic, discusses the utility of pazopanib (Votrient) plus stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in pediatric sarcoma.

Oral pazopanib has been shown to be a safe treatment for pediatric patients with metastatic sarcoma, says Murphy. However, little was known about the efficacy of the agent in combination with localized SBRT. Moreover, such combinations are often met with hesitancy because high-dose radiation therapy and systemic agents could be too toxic for patients, Murphy explains. 

However, findings from a retrospective study of 10 heavily pretreated pediatric patients with metastatic sarcoma showed that combining the TKI with SBRT was safe and tolerable, Murphy says. Moreover, patients with bone, lung, and soft tissue metastases appeared to tolerate the regimen irrespective of the location of treated lesions, concludes Murphy.