Dr. Tseng on the Rationale for the TARPSWG Analysis in Retroperitoneal Sarcoma

William W. Tseng, MD, a sarcoma surgeon with Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California, discusses the rationale for the Transatlantic Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group (TARPSWG) analysis in retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS).

Although RPS is a rare cancer that occurs in the retroperitoneum, it accounts for about 20% of adult soft tissue sarcomas, says Tseng.

Historically, this disease has been a challenge to treat and is widely known as one of the largest tumors that can be found in the human body. These tumors typically weigh around 20 to 30 pounds; however, there have also been reports of tumors that weigh up to 77 pounds.

Due to its size, this tumor touches several vital structures within the abdomen, such as major blood vessels and organs. Notably, the tumor starts in the back of the abdomen and pushes its way to the front, resulting in challenging operations.

Unfortunately, recurrence rates in this patient population are high, and, in certain subtypes, there are high distant metastatic rates, Tseng explains.

As such, in the TARPSWG analysis, investigators evaluated the frequency and potential predictors of tumor response to therapy and assessed the clinical outcomes of patients with high-risk RPS who were treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy, followed by surgery.