New drugs for the treatment of sarcomas.

Despite the fact that many new active drugs recently became available for phase II studies of the different sarcoma types, only soft tissue sarcoma has been included in these phase II testing programs. The groups active in the treatment of osteosarcomas and Ewing's sarcomas should be encouraged to investigate the new active drugs in the relapsing patients. For soft tissue sarcoma, many new drugs have been tested by different groups. The results to date have been disappointing, because only docetaxel has been identified as a new active drug in one phase II study. Hints of activity have also been observed for edatrexate and topotecan. Further studies with these three drugs are necessary to identify their proper role.