Background: Evidence of the real-world management of dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) is limited by the patient size and coding. The objective of this study is to generate consensus expert opinion on locally advanced or metastatic DDLPS diagnosis, treatment, and unmet needs. Methods: A three-round Delphi consensus panel was conducted with 9 DDLPS clinical experts from November to December 2023. Expert panelists were recruited across academic specialty and traditional settings and US regions. The Delphi panel included two rounds of surveys followed by a consensus building workshop. Surveys contained multiple-choice and free response questions, and statements for level of agreement rating. Panelists rated each statement for level of agreement on a 9-point Likert scale. Statements with ≥75% of scores ≥ 7 achieved consensus, and those that did not achieve consensus agreement were modified or removed from subsequent testing. A virtual workshop was held to discuss areas which did not achieve consensus and refine previously agreed upon statements. Results: In total 25 consensus statements were developed by the Delphi panel. Survey 1 achieved 7 consensus statements across the areas of burden, treatment, and unmet needs of DDLPS. Survey 2 generated an additional 10 consensus statements. During the workshop, eight more statements achieved consensus, and four statements were refined for enhanced clarity and precision. The study findings are limited by the number of Delphi panel participants and consensus statements may not be fully representative of clinician perspectives across the US. Conclusions: Consensus areas identified by the Delphi panel help better understand the decision factors for surgical and non-surgical treatments and anticipated utilization. These results could be used to inform both drug development programs as well as care delivery challenges for liposarcoma patients.
Keywords: Delphi study; dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS); treatment patterns; unmet need.