Feasibility of a Regional Onsite Autopsy Program for Postmortem Tissue Donation in Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Pilot Project
Abstract
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) occur primarily in the head, neck and extremities and represent about 1% of all cancers, with 12,000 people a year diagnosed in the United States (U.S.). Overall, however, sarcomas are much more common among children and young adults, with 1,500- 1,700 U.S. children diagnosed with a STS each year, accounting for about 15% of cancers in patients under 20 years old. Deaths from STS are higher in younger patients, with 36% of deaths from bone cancers and 19% of deaths from other STS occurring in people under the age of 45. Furthermore, the 5-year survival for STS patients with relapsed or metastatic disease remains dismal with 5%-20% of patients surviving. The lack of readily available surgical specimens coupled with the progressive nature and high morbidity of these malignancies has led to a paucity of specimens for molecular studies. With the recent surge of molecular profiling techniques including proteomics, single cell RNA sequencing, and immune profiling, we may be able to identify novel treatment targets in these highly lethal cancers. Autopsy programs for tumor tissue donation have been pivotal in advancing benign and oncologic research. However, these are limited in research for rare tumors, since patients are located at various geographic areas throughout the country. This proposal will serve as a pilot program to establish the feasibility of a regional postmortem tissue collection program in STS patients. When this is successful, it can serve as a template for a national, multi-institution PMTD program in rare tumors, potentially vastly expanding publicly accessible data on hundreds, if not thousands of STS tissue specimens. Eventually, obtained data may then be utilized to characterize and identify possible therapeutic targets that have not been evident to date.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210670
Entities
People
- Patricio Gargollo
Organizations
- Mayo Clinic
- United States Army