For more than 25 years, my goal as a community oncologist has been to ensure that all patients have access to the highest-quality cancer care. This is the future I stood for when I became ASCO’s 61st President and what I know our more than 50,000 members stand for. And I believe we will get there...
Despite a 30-year history as an ASCO volunteer, for Eric J. Small, MD, FASCO, this past year as President-Elect has opened new perspectives on the organization he will soon lead as ASCO’s 62nd President, effective during the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, May 30–June 3, 2025, in Chicago. After serving...
New findings from the phase III INAVO120 trial showed that adding inavolisib to palbociclib and fulvestrant may help extend survival and delay the time until treatment with chemotherapy in previously treated patients with PIK3CA-mutated, HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. The...
Studies have shown that having overweight or obesity increases the risk of developing more than a dozen cancers, including meningioma; multiple myeloma; and esophageal, thyroid, breast, gallbladder, stomach, liver, pancreatic, kidney, ovarian, uterine, and colorectal cancers. The presence of excess ...
Results from a global phase III clinical trial found that maintenance therapy with a combination of the alkylating agent lurbinectedin and the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab improved survival in some patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) compared with maintenance therapy with...
The accuracy of HER2 breast cancer scoring improved with the use of AI assistance, especially for patients with low and ultralow levels of HER2 expression, results from a multinational study showed. The findings were presented in a press briefing ahead of the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract...
ASCO and Google Cloud have announced a collaboration to launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-based ASCO Guidelines Assistant. Developed with Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and Gemini models, the tool is poised to transform how oncology professionals access and use critical clinical...
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), termed HPV-DeepSeek by the study investigators, showed greater sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy than any current...
Abbreviated breast MRI scans demonstrated comparable diagnostic accuracy to full multiparametric protocol MRI scans for women with extremely dense breasts, according to findings from the DENSE trial published in Radiology. MRI scans have greater diagnostic accuracy than mammograms for women with...
Investigators may have uncovered key differences in tumor biology but similarities in survival outcomes in instances of equal access to care between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White men with metastatic prostate cancer, according to a recent study published by Valle et al in JAMA Network...
Investigators have identified two genetic risk loci that may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer for Black South African women, according to findings from a genome-wide association study published in Nature Communications. The two risk loci were between UNC13C and RAB27A on...
Investigators have found that a large proportion of U.S. adults are behind on their cancer screenings, according to a new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Survey Methods and Findings In the Survivor Views Special Report: National Screening Survey,...
Investigators have found that the antiseizure/pain drug gabapentin may be associated with improved survival in patients with glioblastoma, according to a recent study published by Bernstock et al in Nature Communications. Background With about 12,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the United...
Investigators from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) identified changes in stromal breast tissue, called stromal disruption, that may help to identify women with a higher risk of developing breast cancer, according to study findings published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Women ...
According to his office, Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” type of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. The New York Times reported that Mr. Biden’s cancer “is characterized by a Gleason score of 9 with metastasis to the bone.” The American Cancer...
The disease we now call diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has gone by the names of reticulum cell sarcoma, diffuse histiocytic lymphoma, and diffuse large cell lymphoma, and included both lymphomas of B cells and T cells. We now know DLBCL is still heterogenous and some subtypes might benefit...
Transmasculine and gender-diverse patients receiving testosterone as part of their hormone therapy may not be at an increased risk of developing gynecologic cancers in the first years of treatment, according to a recent study published by Vestering et al in eClinicalMedicine. Background Many...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Millstein et al attempted to develop a predictive model—Pediatric Holistic Evaluation of Auditory Risk (PedsHEAR)—for hearing loss associated with cisplatin chemotherapy in children and adolescents with cancer. Study Details PedsHEAR was...
Total neoadjuvant therapy of intensified chemoradiotherapy was shown to be less effective for treating patients with rectal cancer with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than those with sporadic rectal cancer, according to study findings presented during Digestive Disease Week 2025. However, there...
In a phase II trial (PALMIRA) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Llombart-Cussac et al evaluated whether palbociclib rechallenge with second-line alternative endocrine therapy may improve progression-free survival vs second-line alternative endocrine therapy alone. Study Details In the...
On May 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved retifanlimab-dlwr (Zynyz), a PD-1–blocking monoclonal antibody, with carboplatin and paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of adults with inoperable locally recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCAC)....
Six parenchymal phenotypes were established that may be associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Studies of these phenotypes identified by radiomics on mammograms demonstrated that these patterns were associated with an increased risk of invasive breast cancer, according to...
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker in colorectal cancer, offering dynamic insight into disease burden and recurrence risk. However, questions remain about its clinical utility and optimal application, as well as its equitable access across practice settings. At the...
On May 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to telisotuzumab vedotin-tllv (Emrelis), a c-Met–directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate, for adults with locally advanced or metastatic, nonsquamous, non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high c-Met ...
On May 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the oral hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor belzutifan (Welireg) for patients aged 12 years and older with locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma (PPGL). This represents the first FDA ...
Forty nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations issued a statement this week to the House Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees in regard to budget cuts and policy changes affecting Medicaid and health-care marketplaces. “As organizations representing millions of patients with serious...
In a phase II trial (PEACE V–STORM) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Ost et al found that elective nodal radiotherapy (ENRT) to the pelvis was associated with longer metastasis-free survival vs metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) in patients with pelvic nodal oligorecurrences of prostate cancer....
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) released its first set of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) in 1996, covering eight tumor types. Today, guidelines are available for more than 60 tumor types, subtypes, and related topics. During the NCCN’s 30th Annual...
The Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched Project Interface to advance engagement and outreach to patients with cancer, advocacy organizations, and oncology experts. Its mission is to protect, promote, and advance public health by...
FaceAge, a deep learning system, was developed and validated to estimate biological age from photographs of faces. In a study published in The Lancet Digital Health, FaceAge showed the ability to predict short-term outcomes in patients with cancer. The study demonstrated that FaceAge could...
For postmenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with breast-conserving surgery, whole-breast irradiation, and adjuvant endocrine therapy, reexcision to achieve wider surgical margins (≥ 1 mm or ≥ 2 mm) may not be necessary, according to data presented ...
Patients with a history of breast cancer who are carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants benefit from undergoing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, the results of a retrospective cohort study published in The Lancet Oncology showed. Women who had their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed...
First-generation weight-loss drugs like liraglutide and exenatide could show anticancer benefits beyond weight loss, according to findings from a retrospective, observational study presented by Sagy et al at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2025 and simultaneously published in...
Investigators have found that the risk of developing breast cancer could be nearly three times higher among women who experience notable weight gain after the age of 20 years and either give birth after age 30 or don’t have children compared with those who give birth before age 30 and whose weight...
The addition of multi-cancer early detection screening using a single blood sample improved patient outcomes whether conducted on an annual or every 2-year basis, according to findings from a modelling study published in BMJ Open. With earlier detection of disease progression, many cancers could...
Thousands of forward-looking research studies defined the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. Here, aside from our fuller coverage of key presentations in The ASCO Post, we offer a snapshot of a few additional abstracts that may be of interest to cancer researchers...
Teal Health announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the Teal Wand™, an at-home vaginal sample self-collection device for cervical cancer screening in the United States. The Teal Wand is a prescription device that will soon be available at getteal.com for individuals aged ...
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to the combination of the dual RAF/MEK inhibitor avutometinib and the FAK inhibitor defactinib (Avmapki Fakzynja Co-pack) for adults with KRAS-mutated, recurrent, low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) who have...
The accelerated approval program of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows certain medications to be marketed if they are indicated for serious disease and there has been preliminary evidence of the drug’s efficacy. Pharmaceutical companies must then conduct postapproval trials to...
When screening for breast cancer, the most effective strategy to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) may involve collaboration with human radiologists, according to a recent study published by Ahsen et al in Nature Communications. The findings could help shape how hospitals and clinics integrate...
A 1-week course of postsurgery radiotherapy demonstrated comparable safety and efficacy to the traditional 3-week regimen in patients with early-stage breast cancer, according to new findings presented by Brunt et al at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) 2025 Annual Meeting...
The first sign that something was terribly wrong was in 2015, when I began to feel so fatigued that it was difficult to get out of bed even after 8 to 10 hours of sleep. I’ve been full of energy my whole life and couldn’t understand why I was so tired all the time. Then I began to experience...
Ablative radiation therapy is considered to be an alternative to surgery, providing an effective noninvasive option for local treatment of many types of cancer, but it is unknown whether ablative radiation therapy is effective for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Surgery provides improved...
Thomas B. Tomasi, Jr, MD, PhD, who led Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1986 to 1996, died on March 23 at age 97. His tenure marked a renaissance at Roswell Park that elevated it to a place among the nation’s top cancer centers. The pinnacle of ...
The members of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have elected Keith T. Flaherty, MD, FAACR, as the AACR President-Elect for 2025–2026. He will assume the Presidency in April 2026 at the AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego. Dr. Flaherty is Director of Clinical Cancer Research and the ...
The 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research was presented to Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, during the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago. This award honors individuals who have made significant fundamental contributions to cancer...
Several medical organizations recently released a joint Clinical Practice Guideline to provide recommendations on opioid conversion in adults with cancer.1 ASCO, together with the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,...
The 2025 Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer advanced the field with updates of practice-changing trials and other research that challenges the conventional approaches to treating gynecologic cancers. We have briefly captured some of that research here for readers ...
In patients with aggressive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, first-line treatment with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus and the somatostatin analog lanreotide more than doubled the median progression-free survival for patients vs everolimus alone, in the phase III JCOG1901 (STARTER-NET)...
Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are less likely to receive potentially life-saving cancer treatment if they reside in communities with lower income levels and educational attainment, according to a recent study published by Islam et al in Cancer. Study Methods and Results...