About Sarcoma Research

Cancer research is an important part of cancer care. Over the years, cancer research has led to better treatments and outcomes for people diagnosed with cancers such as sarcoma. ANZSA is involved in sarcoma research, both locally and internationally.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are medical research studies that aim to find a better way to manage a particular disease. The purpose of a clinical trial is to evaluate new approaches to learn how people respond to them and what side effects might occur as a result.

If the new approach is shown to work better than existing tests or treatments and is safe, it may be approved for use as a standard of care in the clinic.

Basic Research
Translational Research

Basic research looks at the body’s basic functions by studying its cells and molecules to find out how they function. This helps researchers work out why cancer starts or spreads and how it might be prevented or treated more effectively.

Basic research is sometimes called lab research because the study does not include patients in the clinic.

The main focus of basic research in sarcoma is to understand the underlying fundamental properties of sarcoma tumour cells. This work allows researchers to devise new and innovative strategies to control sarcoma cancer cell growth and invasion.

Before treatments are trialled in humans, basic researchers need to show that they are likely safe, effective and not likely to cause life-threatening side effects. In the beginning, researchers will test new drugs in cells (from samples of living tissue) in the lab.

If the treatment has the desired outcome in the cell culture lab experiments, it will be tested on animals, giving researchers a better understanding of how the treatment works and whether it will be useful in humans.

Translational research provides a bridge between basic and clinical research. It aims to get new treatments or medical approaches into practice quickly.

It is sometimes called “bench to bedside” research because basic research results are directly used to create new therapies and diagnostic tools.

Findings in the clinic can also influence research in the laboratory. For example, hospitals and healthcare professionals give information to researchers about the effectiveness of a treatment to help direct research into the most useful areas.

Often, one institution (such as ANZSA) oversees all aspects of a translational research project, from its beginning in the lab to the rollout of a clinical trial and the commercial development of medicine.