Results of a multi-institutional study published by St-Laurent et al in Science Direct revealed that testing urine-based tumor DNA (utDNA) may help to predict which patients with bladder cancer are at higher risk for recurrence after not responding to first-line treatment. The study analyzed utDNA...
The 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting has officially concluded. Our sincere thanks to the global oncology community and ASCO for creating such a remarkable forum advancing cancer care. Here we highlight the most impactful updates in genitourinary tumors from this year’s meeting. Kidney Cancer: Long-Term...
The Association for Molecular Pathology has introduced best practice recommendations for clinical laboratories developing and performing homologous recombination deficiency testing, according to new guidelines published by Hsiao et al in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Background Homologous...
A combination of menin inhibition and KAT6A/7 inhibition significantly improved survival for NUP98-rearranged pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in AML model systems, even in menin inhibitor–resistant cells, according to findings published in Cancer Discovery. The MYST gene family histone...
This is Part 3 of The Role of Oral SERDs in Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Komal Jhaveri, Erika Hamilton, and Aditya Bardia discuss the treatment of a 64-year-old postmenopausal woman...
This is Part 2 of The Role of Oral SERDs in Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Komal Jhaveri, Erika Hamilton, and Aditya Bardia discuss the treatment of a 67-year-old postmenopausal woman...
This is Part 1 of The Role of Oral SERDs in Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Komal Jhaveri, Erika Hamilton, and Aditya Bardia discuss the treatment of a 61-year-old female patient who...
Early detection of an ESR1 mutation, leading to a switch of endocrine therapy, led to an almost doubling in progression-free survival in the SERENA-6 trial, the global registrational study in patients with metastatic breast cancer for the investigational oral selective estrogen receptor degrader...
For the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer with DNA mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) tumors, the addition of the checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab to standard chemotherapy significantly improved disease-free survival in the phase III ATOMIC trial. The results position this approach as a...
In the phase III DESTINY-Breast09 trial, first-line treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) plus the monoclonal antibody pertuzumab significantly delayed disease progression by more than 1 year—nearly doubling the time of disease control—over standard...
A common germline variant in the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) (rs562556, V474I) gene rather than a mutation in a breast cancer tumor may be the driving force in significantly increasing the risk of breast cancer metastasis and reducing survival in women with the disease....
Findings from a comprehensive genome-wide study of sinonasal squamous cell carcinomas demonstrated that human papillomavirus (HPV) can drive tumorigenesis in some cases, and these tumors exhibit similar mutational patterns to those seen in HPV-associated cervical and head and neck squamous cell...
Computed tomography (CT) colonography demonstrated greater clinical efficacy and cost savings than stool DNA testing for colorectal cancer screening, according to results of a study published in Radiology. "Among the safe, minimally invasive colorectal cancer screening options, CT colonography is ...
In a Chinese study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Yin et al attempted to develop a cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomics–based model for early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Study Details The study consisted of training and validation cohorts from several Chinese...
In an analysis from the phase III CheckMate 816 trial reported at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting and in The New England Journal of Medicine, Forde et al examined overall survival outcomes with the addition of neoadjuvant nivolumab to platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with stage IB to IIIA...
Researchers may have uncovered genetic differences that may help predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors among patients with metastatic melanoma, according to a recent study published by Monson et al in Nature Medicine. Background The investigation revolved around mitochondrial haplogroups ...
Neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival rates at 5 years compared with chemotherapy alone before surgery in patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to findings from the final analysis of the phase III CheckMate 816 trial. The...
Researchers may have uncovered factors contributing to poor outcomes among patients with prostate cancer, according to recent findings presented by Dall’Era et al at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 5104). The findings may lead to the development of novel targeted therapies, particularly in...
Frank A. Sinicrope, MD, of Mayo Clinic Rochester, reviews findings from the randomized Alliance A021502/ATOMIC trial, which studied standard chemotherapy alone or combined with atezolizumab as adjuvant therapy for patients with stage III DNA mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) colon cancer (LBA1).
Manmeet Singh Ahluwalia, MD, MBA, FASCO, of Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, discusses the ongoing LIBERATE trial, which is evaluating safety and technical efficacy of transcranial MR-guided microbubble-enhanced transcranial focused ultrasound for increasing blood circulating...
Switching to treatment with camizestrant if an ESR1 mutation is detected during first-line treatment can help slow cancer growth for patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, according to findings from the phase III SERENA-6 clinical trial. The research is...
Results from the international phase III ATOMIC study demonstrated that patients with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colon cancer who receive atezolizumab in addition to adjuvant chemotherapy experience a 50% reduction in disease recurrence or death compared with chemotherapy alone. The findings...
A new study led by experts at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is the first to look at trends over time in alcohol-linked cancer mortality across the United States. The findings were presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract ...
Researchers may have uncovered early indications of the clinical benefit of niraparib in patients with advanced melanoma whose tumors have specific genetic changes impacting DNA repair, according to a recent study published by Kim et al in JCO Precision Oncology. Background The U.S. Food and Drug...
Several recent studies have shown the value of cancer screening in reducing the number of deaths from the disease. One study using computer modeling to estimate the number of cancer-related deaths that could be averted by increasing the use of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)...
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...
Mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) tumors beyond those in the rectum may respond to PD-1 blockade in the neoadjuvant setting, offering the option of organ preservation in early-stage cancer regardless of the tumor type, researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center reported at the...
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...
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...
Cellular therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy are transforming outcomes for patients with cancer, particularly in the relapsed or refractory setting. “We’re seeing outstanding response rates in patients with B-cell malignancies...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Researchers may have uncovered the role of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the development of Burkitt lymphoma, according to a recent study published by Ariera et al in The Journal of Immunology. Background Uncomplicated malaria occurs when a patient’s symptoms are nonspecific, including fever,...
Using next-generation DNA sequencing, researchers have identified four specific genes whose mutations are linked to the development and progression of lethal stomach cancers. This could potentially enable practitioners to offer targeted treatments that would spare many patients from unnecessarily...
Although next-generation sequencing to assist decision-making for genomics-driven therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors has traditionally been conducted using tissue biopsy samples, recent data support the use of plasma-based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for the genomic profiling of solid ...
The first-in-class covalent Werner helicase inhibitor (RO7589831) demonstrated early signals of efficacy as well as general tolerability in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring certain genetic defects, according to results from a phase I trial. Agents in this class target the DNA repair...
Interim results from the VICTORI study showed that an ultrasensitive circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based liquid biopsy assay was effective in detecting signs of cancer recurrence prior to imaging and provided prognostic value within 1 month after surgery in patients with colorectal cancer. The...
PD-1 blockade with the PD-1 inhibitor dostarlimab-gxly induced complete tumor clearance and resolved the need for surgery in patients with locally advanced, mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) cancers, according to preliminary results from a phase II trial presented at the 2025 American Association...
Researchers may have identified the bacterial toxin colibactin as a potential factor contributing to the concerning rise in early-onset colorectal cancer, according to a novel study published by Díaz-Gay et al in Nature. The findings demonstrated a substantial enrichment of colibactin-related...
At the 2025 Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, Kersten Rothnie, MBBS, a gynecologic oncology fellow at Northwell Health in New York City, shared study findings on an investigational tool on behalf of her colleagues.1 These results suggested the presence of...
In a U.K. study (BARCODE1) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, McHugh et al found that screening for prostate cancer with a polygenic risk score was more accurate in diagnosis than screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Study Details In...
There has been remarkable progress in treating EGFR-variant lung adenocarcinoma with tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as gefitinib, erlotinib, osimertinib, and afatinib. However, several important issues remain unresolved, including whether there remains a role for chemotherapy, who should receive a ...
Research into germline genetic variants has identified ways that an individual’s genetic makeup can shape the biology of their cancer. The report, published in Cell, shows how these findings could potentially be applied to future treatment strategies to make cancer treatment more personalized. A...
A new study showed that approximately 80% of patients with stage III melanoma who had detectable levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) before they started treatment to suppress their tumors went on to experience recurrence. Researchers also found that the disease returned more than four times...
A whole-genome sequencing–based, error-corrected method for detecting cancer from blood samples could be more sensitive and accurate in monitoring disease status posttreatment among patients with cancer compared with prior methods, according to a recent study published by Cheng et al in Nature...
A newfound role for the cancer gene BRCA2 suggests why only select patients have benefited from treatment with PARP1 inhibitors to date. The results of a study by investigators at NYU Langone Health were recently published in the journal Nature. In brief, PARP inhibitors act by impairing...
Two recent studies have elucidated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer screenings and diagnostic colonoscopies in Central Indiana. The findings—reported by Kumar et al in PLOS One and Richter et al in Preventive Medicine Reports—contribute to the compendium of knowledge on...
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) can offer patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) improved survival while minimizing or avoiding late toxicities associated with the standard of care of radiation with cisplatin chemotherapy, according to a recent ASCO guideline.1 “We show in a...