Prognostic Factors and Biomarkers in Soft Tissue Sarcomas
Summary
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a diverse group of malignant tumours arising from mesenchymal tissues, exhibiting wide variation in histological subtype, anatomical site and natural history. Traditional prognostic factors include tumour size, depth, histological grade and margin status after resection. Increasingly, host-response biomarkers measured in peripheral blood—such as ratios of circulating immune cells and acute-phase proteins—have been shown to reflect the systemic inflammatory milieu and predict outcomes independently of standard clinicopathological staging. Molecular biomarkers, including gene-expression profiles, circulating tumour DNA and non-coding RNAs, promise further refinement of risk stratification, while imaging biomarkers and radiomics seek to capture tumour heterogeneity in vivo. Composite prognostic scores that integrate clinical, histological, molecular and inflammatory parameters are under development to guide personalised treatment, surveillance intensity and trial design. As STS are rare and heterogeneous, international collaboration, standardisation of assays and prospective validation are essential to translate emerging biomarkers into routine care and improve global outcomes.
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Prognostic Factors and Biomarkers in Soft Tissue Sarcomas publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in prognostic factors and biomarkers in soft tissue sarcomas across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR): The quotient of absolute neutrophil count divided by lymphocyte count, reflecting systemic inflammation.
Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR): The ratio of platelet count to lymphocyte count, used as an inflammatory prognostic indicator.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP): An acute-phase protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation, measured in blood.
Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS): A composite score based on CRP and albumin levels to stratify cancer prognosis.
C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio (CAR): The ratio of CRP concentration to serum albumin, reflecting combined inflammatory and nutritional status.
References
- Meta-Analysis of Hematological Biomarkers as Reliable Indicators of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Prognosis. Frontiers in Oncology (2020).
- Prognostic value of the C-reactive protein/Albumin Ratio (CAR) in patients with operable soft tissue sarcoma. Oncotarget (2017).
- Infiltrative tumor growth patterns on magnetic resonance imaging associated with systemic inflammation and oncological outcome in patients with high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma. PLOS ONE (2017).
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