Epithelioid sarcoma
Prepared with OnCo (onco.cc/prep/epithelioid-sarcoma/). Orientation, not medical advice; your team knows your case.
My details
What I know, what is unclear, changes to discuss
Saved in this browserMy questions
12 on the sheet- 1.What is my exact diagnosis, stage, and grade, and which tests established them?
- 2.Which biomarkers have been tested on my tumour (for example SMARCB1/INI1 loss by immunohistochemistry, CD34 and cytokeratin co-expression, Regional lymph node status, Tumour size and depth), and what were the results?
- 3.Which subtype is my cancer, and does that change the recommended treatment?
- 4.Is germline (inherited) genetic testing recommended for me or my family?
- 5.For my situation (localised), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
- 6.For my situation (advanced or metastatic), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
- 7.Am I a candidate for Tazemetostat, Doxorubicin, Ifosfamide, and what side effects should I expect?
- 8.Are there clinical trials I could join, for example of Tazemetostat with doxorubicin as front-line therapy for advanced epithelioid sarcoma (EZH-301 run-in), Tazemetostat, EZH2, Epigenetic drugs (HDAC, DNMT, EZH2, IDH, menin, BET)?
- 9.Would a second opinion at a high-volume centre change anything, and can you help arrange it?
- 10.What supportive care (symptom control, nutrition, exercise, mental health, financial help) is available from the start?
- 11.I read that “Response rate to tazemetostat monotherapy is modest: combinations with doxorubicin (EZH-301) and immunotherapy are being tested”. How does that affect my plan?
- 12.I read that “Confirmatory evidence for the accelerated approval is still pending”. How does that affect my plan?
The words I may hear
- Accelerated approval: FDA approval based on early evidence (like tumour shrinkage) on condition that a confirmatory trial follows.
- Rare cancers: Rare cancers are those with fewer than about 6 new cases per 100,000 people per year.
Tests and results to bring
Biomarker results to ask for: SMARCB1/INI1 loss by immunohistochemistry (diagnostic), CD34 and cytokeratin co-expression, Regional lymph node status, Tumour size and depth (proximal vs distal).
Bring copies of scan reports, pathology and blood results, and a list of every medicine and supplement.
The treatments I may be offered
- Localised: Wide resection with negative margins plus radiotherapy for large, deep or close-margin tumours; lymph node assessment considered because of nodal spread. (Limb-salvage surgery and endoprosthetic reconstruction, IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam), Sentinel lymph node biopsy)
- Advanced or metastatic: Anthracycline-based chemotherapy; tazemetostat (accelerated approval 2020, EZH-202) was withdrawn from all markets in March 2026 after SYMPHONY-1 showed excess secondary blood cancers, so the EZH2 option is gone; clinical trial enrolment encouraged. (Tazemetostat, Doxorubicin, Ifosfamide)
From the standard of care recorded for this cancer; which apply depends on your stage and biomarkers. Ask which the team recommends and why.