Uterine Sarcoma

Back
Download Section as PDF

Targeted Drug Therapy for Uterine Sarcomas

Targeted drugs target specific parts of cancer cells. Some targeted drugs might be useful for treating uterine sarcomas that are advanced, unresectable (can’t be removed by surgery), have spread, or have come back after initial treatment. Knowing the gene changes in a tumor helps doctors decide whether a targeted drug might help treat it.

On this page
[show] [hide]

Drugs that target kinases

Kinases are proteins in or on cells that send signals to the rest of the cell. Sometimes they can help cells grow. Drugs called kinase inhibitors can help stop or slow the growth of some tumors. Examples of kinase inhibitors that might be used for uterine sarcoma include:

  • Pazopanib (Votrient)
  • Regorafenib (Stivarga)

These medicines are given as pills and taken once a day.

Side effects include:

  • High blood pressure
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Vomiting
  • Hand-foot syndrome (redness and irritation of the hands and feet)

Less common but more serious side effects can include heart problems, bleeding, liver problems, thyroid problems, and perforations (holes) in the stomach or intestines.

Drugs that target TRK

Some uterine sarcomas have changes in one of the NTRK genes. This gene change causes them to make abnormal proteins, which can lead to abnormal cell growth. These drugs include:

  • Larotrectinib (Vitrakvi)
  • Entrectinib (Rozlytrek)
  • Repotrectinib (Augtyro)

These drugs are taken as capsules, once or twice a day.

Side effects of TRK inhibitors include:

  • Swelling of the body
  • Skin rashes
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Changes in appetite and weight
  • Constipation
  • Low blood cell counts
  • Liver damage
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Broken or fragile bones
  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Dizziness (especially with repotrectinib)

It’s important to talk to your cancer care team about any side effects so they can be treated, and the medication can be changed or stopped if needed.

Drugs that target RET

Some uterine sarcomas have changes in the RET genes. These gene changes cause them to make abnormal RET proteins, which signal cancer cells to grow and divide. Selpercatinib (Retevmo), a RET inhibitor, helps block cancers with these changes from growing.

This drug is given as a tablet or capsule by mouth twice a day.

Common side effects of selpercatinib include:

  • Swelling
  • High blood pressure
  • Skin rash
  • Changes in blood test results (such as blood sugar, liver and kidney tests, and cholesterol)
  • Belly pain
  • Changes in bowel habits
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Low blood counts
  • Tiredness
  • Muscle and joint pain

Serious but rare side effects include heart or lung injury, bleeding, or life-threatening high blood pressure.

It’s important to talk to your cancer care team about any side effects so they can be treated, and the medication can be changed or stopped if needed.

Drugs that target PARP

PARP inhibitors might be tried in uterine sarcomas with BRCA gene changes. By blocking the PARP pathway, these drugs make it very hard for tumor cells with BRCA gene changes to repair damaged DNA, which often leads to the death of these cells.

Less than 10% of leiomyosarcomas have BRCA gene changes. If you don’t know whether you have a BRCA gene change, your doctor might test your blood or saliva to see if you do before starting treatment with one of these drugs.

PARP inhibitors include:

  • Olaparib (Lynparza)
  • Rucaparib (Rubraca)
  • Niraparib (Zejula)

All of these drugs are taken daily by mouth, as pills or capsules.

Side effects of these medicines can include:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Changes in bowel habits
  • Decreased appetite
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Low blood counts
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue

More information about targeted therapy

To learn more about how targeted drugs are used to treat cancer, see Targeted Cancer Therapy.

To learn about some of the side effects listed here and how to manage them, see Managing Cancer-related Side Effects.

side by side logos for American Cancer Society and American Society of Clinical Oncology

Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Hensley M, Leitao M. Treatment and prognosis of uterine leiomyosarcoma. UpToDate. 2026. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/treatment-and-prognosis-of-uterine-leiomyosarcoma on February 17, 2026.

Lewis D, Liang A, Mason T, Ferriss JS. Current Treatment Options: Uterine Sarcoma. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2024;25(7):829-853.

National Cancer Institute. Uterine Sarcoma Treatment. Accessed at https://www.cancer.gov/types/uterine/hp/uterine-sarcoma-treatment-pdq on February 17, 2026.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Uterine Neoplasms Version 2.2026 – November 14, 2025. Accessed at https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/uterine.pdf on February 17, 2026.

Ray-Coquard I, Casali PG, Croce S, et al. ESGO/EURACAN/GCIG guidelines for the management of patients with uterine sarcomas. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2024;34(10):1499-1521. Published 2024 Oct 7. 

 

 

 

Last Revised: June 9, 2026

American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.

American Cancer Society Emails

Sign up to stay up-to-date with news, valuable information, and ways to get involved with the American Cancer Society.

Sign Up for Email