Chemotherapy-free regimen of targeted agent and immunotherapeutic superior to imatinib and chemotherapy among adult patients with Ph-positive ALL

 Findings from the phase III GIMENA ALL2820 study, focusing on "the superiority of a frontline chemotherapy-free targeted and immunotherapeutic approach over conventional treatment in adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia" was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The authors of the study also acknowledged the challenges in obtaining marketing authorization for patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, "with overall costs of this new regimen [remaining] beyond the budget of many healthcare systems." 

Click here to read more about this study. 

Sources mentioned: 

• Chiaretti S, Piciocchi A, Skert C, et al. for the GIMEMA Investigators. Ponatinib–Blinatumomab or Imatinib–Chemotherapy for Adult Ph-Positive ALL . N Engl J Med 2026;395(15):1483-1494.  
• Fielding AK. Chemotherapy-free Treatment of Ph-Positive ALL . N Engl J Med 2026;395(15):1542-1544. 

Potential role of an activated tumour immune microenvironment in predicting benefit from atezolizumab for triple-negative breast cancer

 Findings from a multicentre, multinational, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial on the "addition of atezolizumab to a standard taxane-carboplatin-anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen" for patients with stage III triple-negative breast cancer was recently published in Nature Medicine.  According to trial results, atezolizumab significantly improved progression-free survival "when added to nab-paclitaxel for first-line treatment of metastatic, PD-L1-positive triple-negative breast cancer.  Further, progression-free survival also improved early-stage triple-negative breast cancer "with a trend for improved long-term outcomes when added to taxane-anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy." 

Click here to learn more about this study. 

Study mentioned: 

Loibl S, Tang G, Nekljudova V, et al. Atezolizumab in early triple-negative breast cancer: the randomized phase 3 NSABP B-59/GeparDouze trial . Nature Medicine; Published online 1 September 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04565-6

Rare cancer patients still have limited access to personalized care in Europe

 Findings from a recent study presented at the ESMO Sarcoma and Rare Cancer Congress indicate a substantial gap between precision oncology and real-world access to high-quality cancer treatments, with "only one in five patients with advanced rare cancers able to access treatment matched through individual molecular profiling."   In addition, the study found very limited patient enrollment in clinical trials for rare cancer care; out of 304 patients recommended for clinical trials, only 6 were enrolled." 

Click here to learn more. 

Program details: Morfouace M, et al.Final analysis of the pan-European Arcagen study for molecular profiling and access to treatment for rare cancers: A joint EORTC-EURACAN initiative. ESMO Sarcoma and Rare Cancers Congress 2026 - Abstract 81MO

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy and understanding anticancer immunity

 Study results currently being presented at the ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress (held in London, England, December 10-12, 2025) showcase the rise of neoadjuvant immunotherapy studies "from small investigator-led window-of-opportunity...to standard of care paradigms across various tumour types."  Using triple-negative breast cancer and early-stage non-small cell lung cancer as examples, treating patients before surgery provides "access to living tumour ecosystems responding - or not- to immunotherapy." 

Click here to read more and note the Immuno-Oncology Congress program details below: 

Mulder K, et al. Residual tumour immune microenvironment shapes relapse risk in early TNBC following immunotherapy. ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 - Abstract 328MO

Nijman H, et al. Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition skews the B cell response in mismatch repair deficient endometrial cancer. ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 - Abstract 329MO

Pircher A, et al. Neoadjuvant induction with pembrolizumab (Pembro) plus lenvatinib (Len) in resectable early-stage NSCLC impacts the tumor microenvironment (TME): Clinical results including multi-omic deconvolution of the TME from the INNWOP01 study. ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 - LBA1

Thymic health linked to cancer patients’ response to immunotherapy

A recent international study focused on immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment has shown that higher thymic health was associated with a 35% lower risk of cancer progression in a group of 1200 non-small cell lung cancer patients.    While further validation of this finding is required, thymic health "could serve as a non-invasive biomarker of adaptive immune competence in a range of different cancers." 

To learn more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

Abstract 108O - ‘Thymic health is associated with immunotherapy outcomes in patients with cancer ‘, presented by Dr Simon Bernatz during Proffered Paper session 1: Basic science & Translational research on Saturday, 18 October, from 10:15 to 11:45 (CEST) in Hall 5.2 (Nuremberg Auditorium)  

HER2 immunohistochemistry testing may not be needed in all solid tumours

 Results from a large-scale cohort study conducted on 65 000 patients with solid tumours undergoing pan-tumour HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing has shown that "upfront HER2 IHC testing may not be required for all tumour types, especially those that are rarely positive." 

The cohort study further revealed highest HER2 IHC 3+ rates in bladder cancer (13.9%), uterine serous carcinoma (13.6%), oesophago-gastric junction cancer (12.1%), breast cancer (7.8%), gastric adenocarcinoma (6.6%), and salivary gland cancer (6.5%); additional remaining cancer types were all found to have a HER2 IHC 3+ rate of 5% or less. 

To read more about this study, click here.  

Source mentioned: 

Bryant D, Feldman R, Abdulla F, et al. A Real-World Experience in Pan-Tumor Testing for HER2 IHC in More Than 65 000 Solid Tumors . JAMA Oncol; Published online 26 June 2025. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.1791

InflaMix identifies CAR-T recipients with a preinfusion inflammatory profile indicative of high risk for CAR-T treatment failure

 Findings from the use of InflaMix, a predictive, point-of-care-clinical tool, designed "to identify patients at high risk of treatment failure and support informed risk-benefit discussions.." in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, were recently published in Nature Medicine.  InflaMix, which requires only 1 blood test, "offers an unbiased quantitative assessment of 14 blood markers, 11 of which are routinely assayed for patients with lymphoma."  

To read more about InflaMix, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

Raj SS, Fei T, Fried S, et al. An inflammatory biomarker signature of response to CAR-T cell therapy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Nature Medicine; Published online 1 April 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03532-x

Adding pembrolizumab to preoperative radiotherapy and surgery improves disease-free survival for patients with stage III soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity

 

Findings from the SU2C-SARC032 trial, conducted by the Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration (SARC) in 20 academic institutions across Australia, Canada, Italy, and the USA, was recently published in The Lancet.  Led by Professor David G. Kirsch of the Princess Margaret Cancer entre in Toronto, results from the trial indicated "improvement in disease-free survival with addition of preoperative and postoperative pembrolizumab to preoperative radiation therapy and surgical resection for patients with stage III undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma or liposarcoma in the extremity or limb girdle." 

To learn more about this trial, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

• Mowery YM, Ballman KV, Hong AM, et al. Safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab, radiation therapy, and surgery versus radiation therapy and surgery for stage III soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity (SU2C-SARC032): an open-label, randomised clinical trial. The Lancet; Published Online 12 November 2024: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01812-9
• Italiano A. Perioperative immunotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas. The Lancet; Published Online 12 November 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02252-9

Immunotherapy after surgery helps people with high-risk bladder cancer live cancer-free longer

 A recently completed clinical trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that treatment with an immunotherapy drug "may nearly double the length of time people with high-risk muscle-invasive bladder cancer are cancer-free following surgical removal of the bladder."  According to Dr. Andrea Apolo from the National Cancer Institute, the drug in question, pembrolizumab, extension of the cancer-free period makes a considerable difference in the patient's quality of life.  

To read more about this trial, click here. 

Source mentioned: 

1. Apolo AB, Ballman KV, Sonpavde G, et al. Adjuvant Pembrolizumab versus Observation in Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma.Exit Disclaimer NEJM. September 15, 2024. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2401726.

NIH scientists develop AI tool to predict how cancer patients will respond to immunotherapy

 A proof-of-concept study developed by researchers at the National Cancer Institute utilizes artificial intelligence from a blood test "to predict whether someone's cancer will respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors." The study, conducted on 2881 patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors across 18 solid cancer types, provided accurate predictions on likely response to immune checkpoint inhibitor, as well as lifespan, overall survival, and cancer reoccurrence. 

To read more about the study, click here. 

Study mentioned: 

1. Chang T, Cao Y, Sfreddo HJ, et al. LORIS robustly predicts patient outcomes with immune checkpoint blockade therapy using common clinical, pathologic and genomic featuresExit Disclaimer. Nature Cancer. June 3, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00772-7.

    

    

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy superior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with event-free survival benefit in patients with resectable NSCLC and tumour PD-L1 less than 1%

 A recently published meta-analysis, conducted within the Department of Surgery at McGill University, concluded that "neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy as associated with improved overall survival, event-free survival, major pathological response and pathological complete response" compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.  In particular, improvements were noted in patients diagnosed with either stage II or stage III NSCLC.   

To learn more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

• Sorin M, Prosty C, Ghaleb L, et al. Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy for NSCLC A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Oncology; Published online 21 March 2024. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.0057
• Rolfo C, Russo A. The Chemoimmunotherapy Revolution in Resectable NSCLC—The Times They Are A-Changin’. JAMA Oncology; Published online 21 March 2024. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.0043

First study to demonstrate that PD1 immune checkpoint blockade may yield clinical-pathologic regression in some patients with high-risk oral precancerous disease

 Findings of what is believed to be the first non-randomized study of immune checkpoint blockade in parents with high-risk oral precancer, was published in JAMA Oncology.  

A next step would be to consider a larger, precision immunotherapy randomized study favouring cancer-free survival (CFS) as a primary outcome and stratified by prior history of early-stage treated OSCC and 9p21.3 loss according to Dr. Glenn J. Hanna of the Department of Medical Oncology, Center for Head & Neck Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, US, and colleagues who published their findings on 16 November 2023 in the JAMA Oncology. The precancer in question, oral leukoplakia, "refers to a white plaque of variable cancer risk, having excluded other conditions, and affects up to 5% of the global population."  The authors of the study further caution that overtreatment of premalignant conditions is a concern, recommending that "evidence-based standards for adoption should be more stringent."

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

• Hanna GJ, Villa A, Nandi SP, et al. Nivolumab for Patients With High-Risk Oral Leukoplakia A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial. JAMA Oncol; Published online 16 November 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.4853 
• Gyawali B, Strohbehn GW. Immunotherapy in Prepatients—Preventing or Promoting a Malignant Transformation? JAMA Oncol. Published online November 16, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.4799

NCI researchers develop approach that could help supercharge T-cell therapies against solid tumors

 Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have recently presented findings on ways to improve effectiveness of T-cell immunotherapy treatment (namely CAR T-cell therapy) against solid tumours.   According to laboratory studies, "CAR and TCR T cells modified to express the cytokines IL-15 and IL-21 on their surface killed far more cancer cells than T cells carrying just one of these cytokines or neither of them."  This approach is a more targeted means of delivering the cytokines, thereby lessening severe or fatal side effects. 

Click here to learn more about the study, including listening to an audio soundbite and reading the radio transcript. 

Stopping treatment Is a reasonable strategy for patients with advanced NSCLC who are progression-free to front-line ICI at 2 years

 Recent findings from a retrospective cohort study conducted within the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania found no difference in overall survival between fixed 2-year vs. indefinite duration front-line treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.  Following extensive analysis of 1091 patients on ICI treatment 2 years after diagnosis, overall survival from 760 days was 79% in the fixed-duration group compared to 81% in the infinite duration group.  The study authors therefore determined there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival and thus determined that their study "supports treatment discontinuation at 2 years as a valid approach that does not appear to compromise survival outcomes." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

Sun L, Bleiberg B, Hwang W-T, et al. Association Between Duration of Immunotherapy and Overall Survival in Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer. JAMA Oncology; Published online 4 June 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.1891

West H(J). Clinical Decision Making in the Real World—The Perfect as the Enemy of the Good. JAMA Oncology; Published online 4 June 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.1811

Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors safe and effective in cancer patients with HIV and on antiretroviral therapy

 A recently conducted retrospective study by the Cancer Therapy Using Checkpoint Inhibitors in People Living with HIV-International (CATCH0IT) Consortium determined that immune checkpoint inhibitors were found to be safe and had "differential activity across tumour types."  CATCH-IT enrolled 390 cancer patients with HIV into their cohort, "who received anti-PD-1 or anto-PD-L1 therapies and evaluated the safety and activity." This cohort was unique, as patients with HIV are at higher risk for developing cancer, due to dysfunctional immune systems.   The 3 most common cancer identified in the cohort included non-small-cell lung cancer (28%), hepatocellular carcinoma (11%), and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (10%).  While the study authors acknowledged the relatively small sample size for this study, the results do support "the growing body of evidence [among] the use of ICIs [in] patients with HIV to enhance their inclusion in clinical studies." 

To read more about this study, click here.

Source mentioned: 

El Zarif T, Nassar AH, Adib E, et al. Safety and Activity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in People Living With HIV and Cancer: A Real-World Report From the Cancer Therapy Using Checkpoint Inhibitors in People Living With HIV-International (CATCH-IT) Consortium. JCO; Published online 16 May 2023. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.22.02459

Exposure to antibiotics before treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor associated with worse overall survival among older adults with cancer

A large population-level study from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto indicated that "antibiotic exposure and specifically fluoroquinolones before treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor were associated with worse overall survival, with fluoroquinolone exposure conferring up to a 65% increased risk of mortality among older adults with cancer."   Of the 2,737 cancer patients who were administered immune checkpoint inhibitors, 59% received antibiotics 1 year before ICU treatment, while 19% received antibiotics 60 days before ICI.  The authors of the study further state that more data is required to further explore the association between antibiotic exposure, ICI treatment and survival outcomes among cancer patients in diverse settings. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Sources mentioned: 

• Eng L, Sutradhar R, Niu Y, et al. Impact of Antibiotic Exposure Before Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment on Overall Survival in Older Adults With Cancer: A Population-Based Study. JCO; Published online 24 February 2023. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.22.00074
• Pinato DJ, Cortellini A. Antibiotic Therapy: The Cornerstone of Iatrogenic Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. JCO; Published online 24 February 2023. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.23.00049

Large genomic analysis identifies persistent tumour mutational burden associated with immunotherapy response

Findings from a recently completed genomic analysis published in Nature Medicine indicates that "a high persistent TMB [tumour mutational burden], a biologically relevant measure of tumour foreignness within the overall TMB, represents an 'uneditable' target set for adaptive immune responses and may function as an intrinsic driver of sustained immunologic tumour control that cannot be readily bypassed by neoantigen loss via chromosomal deletions during cancer evolution."  Following an extensive evaluation of mutations across 31 tumour types amongst 9,242 patients, along with 8 patient cohorts (total of 524 patients) diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, mesothelioma, and head and neck cancer patients, the study team discovered that "mutations in single-copy regions and those present in multiple copies per cell constitute a pTMB...linked with response to immune checkpoint blockade. 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Niknafs N, Balan A, Cherry C, et al. Persistent mutation burden drives sustained anti-tumor immune responses. Nature Medicine; Published online 26 January 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02163-w

Age and frailty should be considered independently when evaluating potential risk for side effects among older adults treated with ICIS

 Researchers at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto recently released the findings of a population-level retrospective cohort study aimed at evaluating "the impact of age and frailty among older adults on use of acute care and immune-related adverse events (irAE) associated hospitalizations."  According to Dr. Lawson Eng of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, older age carried a lower risk of being hospitalized due to irAE, particularly those over the age of 80, which constituted 18% of the 2737 patients who participated in the study.  The study concluded that age and frailty are significant associated factors which "may need to be considered independently when evaluating their use [in] influencing risk of toxicity among older adults receiving ICIs." 

To read more about this study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Eng L, Sutradhar R, Kaliwal Y, et al. Impact of age and frailty on acute care use during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment: A population-based study. J Clin Oncol 2022; 40 (suppl 16; abstr 12002). DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.12002

Personalized immunotherapy for metastatic breast cancer

 Results from an ongoing clinical trial conducted at the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Center for Cancer Research, has found that "many people with metastatic breast cancer can mount an immune reaction against their tumors."  The clinical trial conducted on 42 women with metastatic breast cancer showed that 67% (28 of the 42 trial participants) had an immune response towards their cancer affliction.  As such, the immune reaction approach was applied to treat 6 of the 28 women, "half of whom experienced measurable tumor shrinkage."  

To read more about the results of this trial, click here. 

Source mentioned: Zacharakis N, Lutfi LM, Seitter SJ, et al. Breast Cancers Are Immungenic: Immunologic Analyses and a Phase II Pilot Clinical Trial Using Mutation-Reactive Autologous Lymphocytes. February 1, 2022. JCO. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02170.

Immunogenicity of COVID-19 MRNA-based vaccine in patients with actively treated solid malignancies

 Results from the Vax-On study of mRNA-BNT 162b2 immunogenicity in cancer patients with solid malignancies receiving treatment indicates that "seroconversion response...remains adequate even 5 months after the second COVID-19 vaccine dose."  According to Dr. Fabrizio Nelli of the Department of Oncology and Haematology at the Hospital of Belcolle in Viterbo, Italy, provide evidence in favour of cancer patients receiving a third dose of vaccine.  

To read more about the Vax-On study, click here. 

Source mentioned: Nelli F, Fabbri A, Onorato A, et al. Six-months immunogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA-BNT162b2 vaccine in actively treated cancer patients: Updated results of the Vax-On study. Annals of Oncology; Published online 9 December 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.12.001