Ronald C. Chen, MD, MPH, FASCO, on High-Risk Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma: HRQoL With Pembrolizumab vs Observation
ASCO 2026
Ronald C. Chen, MD, MPH, FASCO, of the University of Kansas Medical Center, presents health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data from the AMBASSADOR trial, which showed that in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma after radical surgery, adjuvant pembrolizumab for 1 year approximately doubled disease-free survival, causes fatigue and dyspnea which modestly impacted physical function and ability to perform certain roles (such as work and hobbies), without impact on overall quality of life (Abstract 4513).
The ASCO Post Staff
Angimar Uriepero-Palma, MD, of Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, discusses a study that showed use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors was associated with longer 3-year overall survival and a lower risk of cytopenias and infections among diabetic patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) receiving Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Abstract 7051).
The ASCO Post Staff
Bjorn Henning Gronberg, MD, PhD, of St. Olav’s Hospital, discusses findings from a phase III trial of concurrent thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) plus platinum/etoposide chemotherapy and the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (Abstract LBA8005).
Jennifer A. Woyach, MD, of The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University, discusses the ongoing, actively recruiting ROCKET-CLL trial, which is a phase III study aiming to compare the efficacy of rocbrutinib vs pirtobrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who have been pretreated with Bruton tyrosine kinase covalent inhibitors (Abstract TPS7100).
For more information about the trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT07342478).
The ASCO Post Staff
Samuel J. Klempner, MD, FASCO, of Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, discusses a single-arm phase II study—which is currently open and enrolling (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT07070466)—evaluating ivonescimab in combination with FOLFOX as front-line therapy in locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic HER2-negative gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (Abstract TPS4246).
Rami Manochakian, MD, FASCO, of Mayo Clinic Florida, summarizes an educational session at ASCO that reviewed the state of the field of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatment. After decades of limited treatment progress, advances are being seen in immunotherapies, radiation therapy, bispecific T-cell engagers, antibody-drug conjugates, and radionuclide therapies.
