Alessandro Gronchi, Director of the Department of Oncological Surgery at the IRCCS Foundation National Cancer Institute of Milan, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“What an inspiring and energizing day in Boca Raton at Connective Tissue Oncology Society for our TARPSWG Semi-Annual Meeting 2025.
Our community once again demonstrated what truly defines TARPSWG: collaboration without borders, scientific rigor, and a shared commitment to improving the care of patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma worldwide.
From early morning until the final mentorship lunch, the room was filled with ideas, constructive debate, and—most importantly—the sense of a global team rowing in the same direction.
A few highlights from a rich program:
- Clinical trials: new concepts, STRASS3, testing preop IO-RT in dedifferentiated liposarcoma and immune-classification advances
- STRASS2 and STREXIT2: important updates as these landmark efforts continue to mature
- RESAR: governance, data management, surveillance (the randomized study on follow-up intensity) and new proposals to standardize nomenclature and deepen biological understanding
- Education and Mentorship: from webinars to tumor boards to structured mentoring—investing in the next generation of sarcoma specialists and researchers
- AJCC staging discussions: shaping the future of how we classify and treat RPS
- And of course: a wonderful group dinner and networking—because science is strongest when relationships are strong – during which we paid a tribute to Sylvie Bonvalot, retiring soon, for her incredible career.
A huge thank you to all presenters, committee leads, and participants.
As always, I leave these meetings with renewed motivation, deep gratitude for this community, and a clear sense that – together – we are moving the field forward.
On to the next milestone.”
Winan van Houdt, Surgical Oncologist at Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, shared this post, adding:
“Happy to update our international community about our ongoing EORTC – European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer STRASS2 randomized controlled trial – evaluating neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk retroperitoneal sarcoma – now 161 patients have been randomized, slowly but surely progressing towards the 250 patients we need.
Also, we now have 162 patients in the parallel real-world study STREXIT 2, funded by an EU Horizon grant, aiming for more and up to 1000 patients.
Many thanks to all the international PIs involved in our trial for including patients in both studies, and looking forward to completing the study in a few years.”
More posts featuring Alessandro Gronchi and Winan van Houdt.