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...
In a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Pich et al found that tumor-infiltrating clonal hematopoiesis (TI-CH) was associated with an increased risk of death or recurrence among patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and poorer overall survival among...
Recent studies have shown increasing rates of early-onset cancers, often defined as cancers occurring in people younger than age 50, especially colorectal, pancreatic, female breast, and uterine cancers, and younger birth cohorts seem to have a higher risk of some cancer types compared with older...
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...
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 phase III MARIPOSA trial was a head-to-head comparison of the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib and the combination of the bispecific EGF receptor–directed and MET receptor–directed monoclonal antibody amivantamab-vmjw and the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor lazertinib in the first-line ...
For more than a decade, the field of gynecologic oncology has witnessed a movement toward surgical de-escalation through the increased use of minimally invasive surgical techniques and sentinel lymph node techniques. At the 2025 Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s...
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)...
A major international study, PORTEC-4a, provides evidence that molecular profiling may safely reduce the need for radiotherapy in some women with early-stage endometrial cancer while identifying those who would benefit from more intensive treatment. The results, presented at ESTRO 2025, may mark a...
Five pivotal studies presented at ESTRO 2025 showcase how radiotherapy is reshaping the landscape for anal and rectal cancers. From reduced-dose treatments to cutting-edge combinations with immunotherapy and chemotherapy, these innovations offer safer, more effective, and organ-preserving...
Stomach cancers are increasingly being diagnosed at less advanced, more treatable stages—a shift that marks major progress in detecting one of the deadliest forms of cancer, according to a study presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2025 (Abstract Sa1374). “These trends suggest that...
Sequential molecular measurable residual disease (MRD) testing and monitoring led to a survival benefit among younger patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and NPM1 and FLT3-ITD mutations, according to the results of a study published in The Lancet Haematology. Patients with both mutations...
In an analysis from the Scandinavian phase III NARLAL2 trial, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Schytte et al found that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET–guided heterogeneously dose-escalated radiotherapy was not associated with greater 6-month toxicity vs standard radiotherapy in...
The use of computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) techniques for planning jaw reconstructions for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing free fibula reconstruction of the lower jaw may potentially shorten the duration of the surgery and reduce removal rates due to complications,...
Investigators have uncovered mixed progress in major cancer risk factors, preventive behaviors, and screenings in the post–COVID-19 pandemic period among adults in the United States, according to a new study published by Bandi et al in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Background An ...
A novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy called AIC100, which targets the ICAM-1 protein, demonstrated encouraging responses and an acceptable safety profile in patients with two types of advanced thyroid cancer. Results from a small, first-in-human phase I trial were presented at the ...
A 20-year initiative that offered flexible options for colorectal cancer screening at a major integrated health system doubled colorectal cancer screening rates, cut cancer incidence by a third, halved deaths, and brought racial differences in outcomes to nearly zero, according to a study that will ...
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...
The novel HER2-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor zongertinib elicited durable responses in patients with advanced, previously treated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that harbored a HER2 mutation, according to the preliminary results of the early-phase Beamion LUNG-1 trial. These findings were...
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...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Choong et al found that omission of endocrine therapy in patients with estrogen receptor–low (1%–10% on immunohistochemistry), early-stage breast cancer was not associated with improved survival outcomes. The study used National Cancer...
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...
Following a comprehensive national search, W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, FASCO, former Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), has accepted the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J....
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) investigators were informed on April 21 that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will terminate WHI Regional Center (RC) contracts at the end of the current fiscal year (September 2025). The WHI Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) will continue...
In late January 2013, while playing with my young son, I noticed my left breast seemed slightly larger than my right breast. Although, at the time, I had no idea this type of swelling is a hallmark of inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive disease, I immediately made an appointment with...
ASCO has released an update to the guideline for fertility preservation in people with cancer. The update, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,1 provides recommendations regarding evaluation and counseling for fertility preservation; methods and timing of fertility preservation;...
Nicolas Girard, MD, a thoracic oncologist at the Institut Curie, Paris, presented the results of an interim analysis of the open-label phase II COCOON study, at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2025.1 A readily available preventive regimen (the COCOON regimen) reduced moderate-to-severe...
Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) President-Elect Karen Lu, MD, assumed her official duties on March 17, 2025. Dr. Lu, who is also Executive Vice President and Physician-in-Chief at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, brings many years of professional experience and active SGO membership...
A few weeks ago, a family member underwent a minor outpatient operative procedure. From a few weeks before the scheduled date of the procedure, multiple text messages and e-mails were forwarded to provide preparatory instructions for the procedure. The day before the procedure, another...
Ongoing efforts to rein in government spending have been described as a “chainsaw for bureaucracy.” It’s an apt metaphor for the haphazard budget cuts that many federal agencies are still experiencing. On February 7, 2025, the chainsaw made its way to facilities and administrative (F&A)...
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 ...
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) updated its testing guideline to capture new research and emerging technologies to improve the diagnostic accuracy of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, according to a guideline update published by Lewis et al in...
Perinatal and early-life exposure to ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN) may be associated with a statistically significant increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer in children and young adults up to 19 years old, according to the...
Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, recently joined the staff of City of Hope as the new Director of the Women’s Cancers Program, Division Chief of Breast Medical Oncology, and Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research. In her role, she will lead and enhance City of Hope’s...
A recent study published by Hooda et al in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery suggests that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act has significantly improved access to timely treatment and high-volume hospitals for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These findings...
Various tests, ranging from a tape measure to sophisticated imaging technology, show low to moderate agreement in diagnosing breast cancer–related lymphedema, according to a recent study published by Brunelle et al in Rehabilitation Oncology. Background Breast cancer–related lymphedema is...
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...
New research has revealed that Schistosoma haematobium, a parasitic infection affecting millions globally, can trigger cancer-related gene activity in the cervical lining, with changes becoming even more pronounced after treatment. Presented at ESCMID Global 2025, this pivotal study sheds new light ...
The incidence rates of colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinomas have risen the most among young adults over the past 2 decades, suggesting the need for heightened awareness among clinicians for these diseases in this patient population, according to a report published by Bussetty et al in JAMA...
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...
Surgery may not be necessary for patients with early-stage breast cancer who had a complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and standard radiation treatment, according to new data from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Five-year results from the phase II...
Chemotherapy followed by local excision may be effective in patients with node-negative low rectal adenocarcinoma, according to new findings presented by Buettner et al at the 2025 Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Meeting. Background The current standard of care among most patients with...
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...
A new consortium, the Alliance for Global Implementation of Lung and Cardiac Early Disease Detection and Treatment (AGILE), has proposed a public health program of longitudinal chest computed tomography (CT) screenings among a global high-risk population of tobacco-exposed individuals utilizing...
Breast-conserving therapy, including radiation therapy, could lead to a progressive reduction in breast size over time among women with early-stage breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Becker et al in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Background Breast-conserving...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Yeh et al found evidence of accelerated aging in survivors of childhood cancers through the observed increased risk and early onset of age-related diseases. Study Details The study focused on data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and national databases...