American Society of Clinical Oncology, May 31-June 3
By Beth Gilbert HealthDay Reporter
The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology was held from May 31 to June 3 in Chicago and hosted more than 35,000 participants, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in oncology. The conference featured the latest advances in clinical cancer research, including oral abstract presentations and poster presentations in disease-based and specialty tracks. Presentations focused on novel targeted therapies as well as improvements in chemotherapy and radiation therapy approaches.
As part of the international CHALLENGE clinical trial, Christopher Booth, M.D., of Queen's University and the Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues found that a three-year structured exercise program improves quality of life, reduces cancer recurrence, and increases survival following surgery and chemotherapy among patients with stage III and high-risk stage II colorectal cancer.
The authors randomly assigned 889 patients from Canada and Australia (median age, 61 years old) to a structured exercise program or to receive health education materials promoting physical activity and healthy nutrition.
The researchers found that patients undergoing the structured exercise program improved their physical function and maintained it significantly more than the patients who received the educational materials, even though those patients did see some improvement in physical function. Patients who underwent the structured exercise program demonstrated significant improvements in quality of life, reduced cancer recurrence, and increased survival compared with those who received the educational materials. However, patients who underwent the structured exercise program experienced more musculoskeletal injuries compared with those who received the health education materials.
"This should now be considered a standard of care and health systems should ensure that patients have access to a funded exercise program after they complete chemotherapy," Booth said. "We cannot simply tell patients to exercise -- we need to provide them with the behavior support program and personal trainer that will allow them to make this important change in lifestyle."
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
In another study, David R. Spigel, M.D., of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues demonstrated that a gene expression test can accurately assess who will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy among patients with early-stage (IA to IIA), resected, nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
In an effort to target treatment more effectively, the authors evaluated the role of adjuvant chemotherapy among 421 patients with stage IA to IIA NSCLC identified as high-risk by a 14-gene molecular assay. Patients who were categorized as intermediate- or high-risk were randomly assigned to either four cycles of platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy or observation.
The researchers found that patients with early-stage resected NSCLC who were scored as intermediate- or high-risk by a 14-gene risk classifier had a 78 percent reduction in the risk for recurrence or death at two years by receiving chemotherapy.
"This is the first molecular risk assessment strategy to guide chemotherapy for patients with NSCLC," Spigel said. "This can be used today to help doctors and patients be more informed as to making decisions about whether to get chemotherapy following surgery."
Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Razor Genomics, which funded the study.
In a large observational study, Lucas Mavromatis, of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues found that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) are associated with a reduction in the incidence of obesity-related cancers.
The authors evaluated 170,030 adults from 43 health systems within the United States. The participants had a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher and a diagnosis of diabetes. Approximately one-half of patients started treatment with a GLP-1 RA, while the other half began treatment with a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, a mechanistically similar and weight-neutral class of diabetes drug.
The researchers found that compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists were linked to a 7 percent lower incidence of 14 obesity-related cancers and an 8 percent reduction in all-cause mortality. Risk reduction was driven chiefly by colorectal cancers, with no increased seen risk for any tumor type.
"This study adds to a growing body of observational evidence suggesting that GLP-1 RAs may reduce the incidence of obesity-related cancers," Mavromatis said. "These findings suggest GLP-1 RAs may deliver modest oncologic benefit on top of known metabolic, renal, and cardiovascular gains."
One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
ASCO: Durvalumab Plus FLOT Beneficial for Resectable Gastric, GE Junction Cancer
THURSDAY, June 5, 2025 -- For patients with resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, durvalumab plus fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) yields better event-free survival outcomes than FLOT alone, according to a study published online June 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research was published to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: Disease-Free Survival Prolonged With Exercise Program in Colon Cancer
TUESDAY, June 3, 2025 -- For patients with resected colon cancer who have completed adjuvant chemotherapy, a three-year structured exercise program results in significantly longer disease-free survival, according to a study published online June 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: Elinzanetant Cuts Vasomotor Symptoms in Women With Breast Cancer on Endocrine Therapy
TUESDAY, June 3, 2025 -- For women with moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, elinzanetant, a neurokinin-targeted therapy, reduces the frequency of vasomotor symptoms, according to a study published online June 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: Vepdegestrant Ups Survival in ER+, HER2− Advanced Breast Cancer With ESR1 Mutations
MONDAY, June 2, 2025 -- For patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer, the oral proteolysis-targeting chimera ER degrader, vepdegestrant, leads to significantly longer progression-free survival in patients with ESR1 mutations, according to a study published online May 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research was presented to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: Encorafenib + Cetuximab + Chemo Lengthens Survival in Metastatic CRC
FRIDAY, May 30, 2025 -- For patients with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, progression-free and overall survival are significantly longer with encorafenib plus cetuximab plus chemotherapy (oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and fluorouracil), according to a study published online May 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: AI Training Improves Accuracy of HER2 Immunohistochemistry Scoring
FRIDAY, May 30, 2025 -- Artificial intelligence-assisted training improves pathologist accuracy in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 immunohistochemistry scoring in patients with breast cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists May Reduce Risk for Obesity-Related Cancer, All-Cause Death
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- For adults with diabetes and obesity, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are associated with a reduced risk for obesity-related cancer compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: Maintenance Lurbinectedin + Atezolizumab Enhances Survival in Lung Cancer
TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 -- Maintenance therapy with lurbinectedin and atezolizumab helps some patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer live longer versus maintenance therapy with atezolizumab alone, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
ASCO: Alcohol-Associated Cancer Mortality Increased From 1990 to 2021
TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 -- Alcohol-associated cancer mortality increased from 1990 to 2021, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
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