Radiotherapy for Sarcoma

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 371

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Interests: soft tissue sarcoma; bone sarcoma; breast cancer; pediatric malignancies; proton therapy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
Interests: gastrointestinal malignancies; sarcoma

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the role of radiation oncology in the management of soft tissue and bone sarcomas. We aim to highlight the pivotal contributions of radiation therapy in both curative and palliative settings for these rare and challenging malignancies, particularly in light of groundbreaking recent advances. This issue will compile clinical experiences, insights into tumor biology, cutting-edge research, and innovative treatment strategies designed to improve patient outcomes. Key topics include the role of radiation therapy within a multidisciplinary treatment framework, technical advancements, optimal dose and fractionation schemes, treatment timing and delivery strategies, the management of outcomes and toxicity, and future research directions. We welcome submissions that align with these topics and contribute to a deeper understanding of the current and future landscape of radiation therapy for sarcoma.

Dr. Safia K. Ahmed
Dr. Miranda Lam
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soft tissue sarcoma
  • bone sarcoma
  • advanced sarcoma
  • radiation therapy
  • particle therapy
  • multidisciplinary sarcoma care

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

24 pages, 4173 KB  
Article
The Effect of Lurbinectedin as a Monotherapy and in Combination with Ionizing Radiation on Sarcoma Cell Lines
by Hannah Alsheimer, Paula Schiller, Sabine Semrau, Felix Grabenbauer, Rainer Fietkau, Luitpold V. Distel and Laura S. Hildebrand
Cancers 2025, 17(17), 2930; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17172930 - 7 Sep 2025
Viewed by 169
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Soft tissue sarcomas are rare, heterogeneous tumors with limited therapeutic options and suboptimal outcomes in advanced stages. Lurbinectedin is a promising new antineoplastic alkylating agent. This study investigates its cytotoxic effects and its potential as a radiosensitizing agent on soft tissue sarcoma. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Soft tissue sarcomas are rare, heterogeneous tumors with limited therapeutic options and suboptimal outcomes in advanced stages. Lurbinectedin is a promising new antineoplastic alkylating agent. This study investigates its cytotoxic effects and its potential as a radiosensitizing agent on soft tissue sarcoma. Methods: Four soft tissue sarcoma cell lines were treated with lurbinectedin alone or in combination with ionizing radiation. Single-dose irradiation in a 4-day protocol was compared with prolonged treatment and an additional fractionated ionizing radiation scheme in a 6-day protocol. Cellular responses were analyzed by flow cytometry for apoptosis (Annexin V)/necrosis (7AAD) and cell cycle (Hoechst), clonogenic cell survival, and scratch assays for cell migration. Results: In the 4-day protocol, lurbinectedin induced G2/M arrest in all cell lines (p = 0.029) and significantly increased apoptosis/necrosis (p = 0.029) in SW-872. Lurbinectedin-treatment resulted in a decrease (p ≤ 0.002) of clonogenic cells in all cell lines. In the scratch assay, cell migration was delayed in two cell lines (p = 0.048) after lurbinectedin-treatment. Additional radiotherapy had no significant effect compared to lurbinectedin-monotherapy in apoptosis/necrosis and G/2M arrest in the 4-day protocol, clonogenic cell assay, and scratch assay. In the 6-day protocol, lurbinectedin induced an increase (p = 0.029) in G2/M arrest in all cell lines and apoptosis/necrosis in three cell lines, while resulting in a decrease (p < 0.001) of clonogenic cells. Additional radiotherapy had a significant effect on the decrease in clonogenic cells (p ≤ 0.048) in two cell lines but did not increase G2/M arrest and apoptosis/necrosis. Conclusions: Lurbinectedin had strong effects on three of the selected cell lines by inducing G2/M arrest, promoting apoptosis/necrosis, and reducing clonogenic survival, suggesting that it may be a promising chemotherapeutic agent in soft tissue sarcoma treatment. The effect on the fourth cell line was limited, as well as the effect on cell migration. Single-dose irradiation occasionally interfered with the effects of Lurbinectedin, whereas adding fractionated irradiation caused an additional decrease in clonogenic survival, indicating that the combination of Lurbinectedin with fractionated ionizing radiation may have promising effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiotherapy for Sarcoma)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop