New Frontiers in Sarcoma Treatment: Inaugural International Sarcoma Forum Brings Researchers Together to Accelerate Cures

Researchers, clinicians, and institutional partners from around the world gathered for the first annual International Sarcoma Forum, a day dedicated to advancing sarcoma research and care through collaboration. Hosted in a hybrid format to welcome both in-person and virtual attendees, the forum opened with remarks from Brandon Gettleman — a Curing Kids Cancer board member — and Dr. Bernthal, who framed the day’s dual goals: building partnerships across institutions and awarding research grants to promising new projects.

Throughout the day, researchers shared new findings on how sarcoma tumors grow and spread, along with emerging tools to detect and treat the disease earlier and more precisely — including simple blood tests that can catch pediatric sarcomas sooner, and lab-engineered approaches to help rebuild bone after tumor removal.

A major focus of the day was immunotherapy — treatments that help a patient’s own immune system fight cancer. Researchers shared encouraging early results from combining two therapies to make tumors more vulnerable to immune attack, along with the first human trial of a new targeted radiation treatment for relapsed osteosarcoma. Other teams presented progress on strengthening immune cells before they’re returned to the body to fight cancer, and on “waking up” the immune system directly inside tumors to drive lasting remission.

Later sessions turned to the everyday realities of care and recovery, from understanding disparities in treatment outcomes to using smartphones to help patients monitor their recovery from home — a reminder that progress happens both in the lab and at the bedside.

Curing Kids Cancer played a central role throughout the forum. Grainne Owen shared CKC’s mission with attendees, connecting the day’s research directly to the children and families it’s meant to help, and the forum closed with CKC-supported grants awarded to several of the most promising projects presented — a direct investment in turning the day’s ideas into future cures. Keynote speakers Alejandro Quiroga and Anthony Chang offered a look at how innovation and new imaging technology are shaping the future of cancer care.

“Every study we heard today brings us one step closer to a world where no child has to fight cancer alone,” said Grainne Owen. “Moments like this remind us why collaboration is at the heart of everything we do at Curing Kids Cancer.”

As the sarcoma research community grows more connected, this inaugural forum marks the start of what organizers hope will become an annual tradition — one CKC is proud to help drive forward in the fight to cure kids’ cancer.