Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41883956›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oncology2026

Schlafen 11 as a prognostic and potentially predictive biomarker in soft tissue sarcoma: evidence from a real-world cohort.

Adrian Georg Simon, Su Ir Lyu, David Stahl, Lars Mortimer Schiffmann, Birte Wenk, Reinhard Buettner, Nora Wuerdemann, Armin Tuchscherer, Roland Tillmann Ullrich, Alexander Quaas

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Adrian Georg SimonInstitute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Su Ir LyuInstitute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
David StahlDepartment I of Internal Medicine/Centre for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Lars Mortimer SchiffmannDepartment of General, Visceral, Thoracic and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Birte WenkDepartment for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Reinhard BuettnerInstitute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Nora WuerdemannDepartment I of Internal Medicine/Centre for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Armin TuchschererDepartment I of Internal Medicine/Centre for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Roland Tillmann UllrichDepartment I of Internal Medicine/Centre for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Alexander QuaasInstitute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) carry a high risk of relapse or metastasis even after complete resection. (Neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy benefits only a subset of patients, underscoring the need for predictive biomarkers. Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) has emerged as a marker of sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. This study evaluated SLFN11 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy in STS. Materials and methods: SLFN11 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 242 patients with STS across different disease stages, using the H-score and percentage of positive tumor cells. Sub-cohorts included patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy (n = 33), primary resection (n = 193), palliative first-line chemotherapy (n = 26), or a palliative salvage therapy with trabectedin (n = 22). Associations between SLFN11 levels, clinicopathological features, and survival were analyzed. Results: In the neoadjuvant cohort, SLFN11 expression correlated with pathological tumor regression after chemotherapy alone (rho = 0.73, p = 0.016) and chemotherapy ± radiotherapy (rho = 0.62, p = 0.011). Among primarily resected STS treated with adjuvant chemotherapy ± radiotherapy, SLFN11-high tumors were associated with significantly longer overall survival (OS) (p = 0.007) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.022). SLFN11 was independently associated with improved outcome (OS: HR 0.06, p = 0.002; DFS: HR 0.08, p = 0.004). In the palliative first-line chemotherapy cohort, SLFN11-high tumors showed improved OS (p = 0.005) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.024), and SLFN11 remained independently predictive (OS: HR 0.11, p = 0.001). In the trabectedin cohort, SLFN11-high tumors demonstrated longer OS (p = 0.04) and PFS (p = 0.024). Conclusion: SLFN11 is a prognostic and potentially predictive biomarker in STS in the context of chemotherapy. Our results support a prospective validation, standardization of SLFN11 assessment, and consecutive clinical implementation.

Indexed as

DNA-damaging agentsprecision medicinepredictive biomarkerprognostic biomarkerSchlafen 11SLFN11soft tissue sarcomatrabectedin

Identifiers

PMID41883956
PMCPMC13008703

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