During her Presidential address at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, Robin T. Zon, MD, FACP, FASCO, assessed how artificial intelligence (AI) is driving knowledge into action in the field of oncology, and acknowledged that “we are now at the crossroads of long-imagined possibilities and actionable...
With recent data that RAS inhibition can improve survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer,1 the optimization of these agents has become a research priority. Minh Than, MD, PhD, a clinical and research fellow in Hematology-Oncology at Penn Medicine and colleagues have proposed an unorthodox...
Early onset of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)–related myocarditis is associated with increased mortality risk, as is the presence of concurrent major adverse cardiac events, according to results presented in a poster and at a press briefing during the 2026 American Association for Cancer...
Patient-reported outcomes from a subgroup analysis of the final analysis of the phase III PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 trial showed that first-line maintenance therapy with the PARP inhibitor niraparib did not adversely affect overall health-related quality of life in patients with newly diagnosed...
Although treatment advances have increased the 5-year relative survival rates across all age groups, including a 15% increase for adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 39 years,1 it varies widely for some cancers among AYAs who are diagnosed with cancer. For example, AYAs have substantially worse ...
A 4-week structured yoga intervention program named Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) improved overall mood disturbance, anxiety, and fatigue among cancer survivors, according to findings from a phase III randomized controlled trial presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 12004).1 The...
A new study has shown that AI avatar–based digital patient engagement prior to in-person radiation treatment consultations may enable patients to feel more knowledgeable and less stressed than patients who did not engage with an AI avatar, according to findings presented during the Congress of the...
Researchers have developed a novel diagnostics tool to detect gene fusions in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with greater sensitivity than standard detection algorithms, according to findings from a study published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. The researchers...
Fifteen-year results from the phase III ASCENDE-RT trial in patients with intermediate- and high-risk localized prostate cancer receiving androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and pelvic external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) show no significant overall survival advantage with a prostate brachytherapy...
A significant number of patients with cancer—particularly those with more advanced disease who are more likely to receive care at community hospitals, safety net hospitals, and rural medical centers—may have incomplete case information in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Vicini et al, the phase III NRG/RTOG 1005 trial has shown noninferior risk for ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) with concurrent vs sequential radiation dose escalation to the surgical cavity in conservative treatment of high-risk early breast...
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be at a greater risk for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) at least 30 days after surgery for colorectal cancer, according to the results of a large, retrospective study presented at the 2026 Digestive Disease Week Conference. “These...
A new study shows that cases of stage IV breast cancer are increasing both in incidence and as a proportion of all breast cancer diagnoses. According to the findings, published by Avila et al in JAMA Network Open, the incidence rate of stage IV breast cancer has increased significantly from 9.5...
After finishing her academic studies, Dr. Mittendorf enlisted in the U.S. Air Force—an experience that would propel her into the field of oncology. “My second day on active duty was September 11, 2001,” said Dr. Mittendorf. “I was an attending surgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (now called...
New analyses from the multicenter phase III CAPItello-281 trial of the AKT1/2/3 inhibitor capivasertib plus the CYP17-inhibitor abiraterone in PTEN-deficient metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer—now sometimes described as androgen pathway modulation–resistant (APMR) (or modulation-sensitive ...
Final overall survival results from the phase III ROSELLA trial showed a statistically and clinically significant survival benefit with the selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel vs nab-paclitaxel alone in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer....
In the final analysis of the phase III EORTC 1333/PEACE-3 trial, with a median follow-up of 58 months, the addition of radium-223 to the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide significantly prolonged overall survival in patients with bone-dominant metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer...
Hundreds of thousands of people diagnosed with cancer are still alive today, but were never genetically tested, either because testing was not available or was not routinely offered at the time of their diagnosis. These patients are just as likely as those diagnosed today to carry a germline...
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Telomere Clinic at Johns Hopkins have identified a genetic syndrome in which unusually long telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes—allow immune cells to remain biologically “younger” for longer than normal, predisposing ...
ASCO has certified its first virtual cancer clinic from Color, a company that owns and operates a nationwide, oncologist-led Virtual Cancer Clinic, serving employer, union, health plan, and public sector populations. The ASCO Certified status indicates that the virtual practice meets a high set of...
Eight years ago, I was 33 years old, and my main health concern was a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that causes stiff, painful joints in the spine. Having a chronic disease made me pay close attention to any changes in my health, so when I noticed blood in my stool, I...
In modern health care, patient care is often defined by clinical actions such as diagnoses made, treatments delivered, and protocols followed. Clinicians are trained to prioritize technical accuracy, evidence-based interventions, and measurable outcomes. However, an equally critical and often...
ASCO has issued a new clinical practice guideline on the use of systemic therapy for treatment of different types of thyroid cancer, a field that has changed substantially in recent years.1 “Despite a rather rapidly evolving field of targeted and nontargeted systemic agents in the management of...
The American Radium Society (ARS) presented its 2026 Gold Medal Award to Scripps Cancer Center Medical Director Thomas Buchholz, MD, at its Annual Meeting in Newport Beach, California. The Gold Medal Award is the organization’s highest honor for a member who has made significant contributions to...
Survivors of childhood cancer who reach the age of 50 and beyond show continued elevated risks for premature mortality, subsequent cancers, and other chronic health conditions, according to a report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1 When compared with the general population or sibling ...
Each year, globally, about 400,000 children and adolescents aged between 0 and 19 years are diagnosed with cancer; over 100,000 die from the disease, with most of those cases, over 80%, and deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.1 Delays in obtaining an accurate diagnosis,...
Greater physical activity—particularly walking—may reduce fatigue and improve quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer, with stronger associations observed in nonmetastatic disease. These findings were demonstrated in a longitudinal analysis of the ColoCare Study population presented by...
Synapsis AI, a medically trained, large language model (LLM)–based end-to-end system, reduced the time and effort needed to screen for eligible patients to participate in a randomized, interventional phase III clinical trial in patients with polycythemia vera (PV). Use of Synapsis AI also led to...
At the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) 27th Annual Meeting, investigators presented new findings on breast cancer surgery, postoperative recovery, and radiation treatment planning. Among the many sessions, several studies were presented during a media briefing earlier this month and are ...
In an analysis of a single-center trial reported in a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Reiss et al identified long-term outcomes with rucaparib maintenance in patients with platinum-sensitive advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 germline or somatic...
In the management of stage I testicular cancer, a persistent clinical dilemma is the identification of patients who truly need adjuvant treatment after orchiectomy rather than active surveillance alone. Interim results from the CLIMATE study found post-orchiectomy plasma miR-371a-3p (miR-371), a...
Despite compelling prognostic associations across multiple retrospective data sets, no interventional trial has demonstrated that acting on circulating tumor DNA testing results in early breast cancer improves patient outcomes. Clinicians should therefore proceed with caution until such evidence...
In a landmark study published in Gut, Mukherjee et al developed and validated the Radiomics-based Early Detection Model (REDMOD), an automated artificial intelligence (AI) framework that identifies subtle, preclinical imaging signatures of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma on routine computed...
Investigators used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to analyze trends in multiple myeloma mortality in the United States from 1975 to 2023. Their findings were published in Oncotarget. The study was led by first and corresponding author Navkirat Kahlon, MD,...
High objective response and complete response rates were observed with treatment with brentuximab vedotin and nivolumab in combination with doxorubicin and dacarbazine chemotherapy in patients with early-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the results of a phase II trial published in...
Early exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of widely used compounds known as “forever chemicals,” may be associated with a higher risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to findings published by Vieira et al in the Journal of Exposure Science...
At the first and second interim analyses of the phase III LITESPARK-011 trial, treatment with the novel first-in-class hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor belzutifan plus lenvatinib improved progression-free survival, produced a higher objective response rate, and showed a trend...
Positron-emission tomography (PET)-based metabolic tumor volume could serve as a significant measure of response to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in patients with large B-cell lymphoma, according to the results of a study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Metabolic...
Pembrolizumab in combination with gemcitabine and concurrent hypofractionated radiation therapy and maximal transurethral resection may be safe and feasible in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), allowing many patients to potentially avoid cystectomy, according to the results of a...
In a phase Ib/II study (OrigAMI-1) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Oberstein et al found that the EGFR-MET bispecific antibody amivantamab-vmjw showed activity when used as monotherapy in patients with chemorefractory RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Study Details In...
The treatment landscape for advanced pancreatic cancer is shifting. The common RAS mutation is now targetable and the race for the most effective inhibitor is heating up. In mid-April, Revolution Medicines announced positive results from its phase III RASolute 302 clinical trial of daraxonrasib, an ...
New guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP) says all average-risk females between ages 50 to 74 should receive biennial screening mammography for breast cancer, and that females between the ages of 40 and 49 should discuss with their doctor their risk for breast cancer and the...
In an effort to help clinicians stay current with rapidly evolving hematology-oncology literature, we are providing these concise, clinically focused summaries of important peer-reviewed studies. These summaries are intended to highlight key findings, study design, and outcomes that may inform...
This year’s Sjöberg Prize of $1 million U.S. dollars was awarded to a British cancer researcher who has provided fundamental knowledge about evolution in tumors. Professor Charles Swanton, FRCP, BSc, PhD, at the Francis Crick Institute in London, described how tumors’ mutations arise and develop....
ASCO has updated its guideline on patient–clinician communication, providing recommendations on a range of best practices for explaining treatment options and goals of care, conversing with patients’ support networks, communicating among care team members, and setting boundaries.1 The update to the ...
Updated results from the phase II BRCAAway trial showed that first-line treatment with abiraterone and prednisone plus olaparib resulted in a median overall survival of more than 5 years in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer harboring BRCA1/2 and/or ATM alterations.1...
Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) has claimed a large share of the HER2-positive breast cancer landscape, even finding room among tumors previously thought to be HER2-negative. The DESTINY series of trials are international studies investigating T-DXd as a potential treatment option for eligible...
New data from the American Medical Association (AMA) show physician burnout continuing to decline nationwide, but significant differences across medical specialties underscore the need for more targeted solutions within health systems. In 2025, 41.9% of physicians reported experiencing at least one ...
Long-term adverse events were rare and manageable among patients with alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), which primarily affects adolescents and young adults, who received immunotherapy beyond the standard 2 years, according to results from a phase II clinical trial presented at the American...
As reported in The Lancet by Lorusso et al, the phase III ROSELLA trial has shown an improvement in overall survival with the addition of relacorilant to nab-paclitaxel in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Relacorilant is a selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist that acts to...