Purpose: Adding pembrolizumab to first-line 5FU/platinum chemotherapy plus trastuzumab improves outcomes in advanced HER2+ gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas, but the benefit is largely confined to dual HER2+ and PD-L1+ patients. To assess the contributions of components, we conducted a phase II trial evaluating 5FU/platinum/trastuzumab and added pembrolizumab in cycle 2 in patients with metastatic HER2+

Purpose: The combination of radiation and immunotherapy potentiated antitumor activity in preclinical models. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a bladder-preserving approach, including dual immune checkpoint blockade and radiotherapy, in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Patients and Methods: Patients with localized MIBC underwent transurethral

Purpose: Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is highly expressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts and certain tumor cells, making it a promising therapeutic target for various malignancies. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of 177Lu-Evans blue-FAP inhibitor (177Lu-EB-FAPI; 177Lu-LNC1004) radioligand therapy (RLT) for treating end-stage metastatic tumors. Patients and Methods: This single-arm

Background: Mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency and microsatellite instability are predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response. The best approach to identify patients with such tumors is unclear in prostate cancer. Methods: This study included 1,016 men diagnosed with primary prostate cancer during prospective follow-up of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Physicians’ Health Study. Highest-grade/index

Purpose: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Recently, PSMA-targeted alpha particle therapy agents using Actinium-225 (225Ac) have shown promising results for prostate cancer treatment, but a significant fraction of patients with advanced mCRPC demonstrate loss of PSMA expression. We have previously reported that PSMA-null and

Purpose: AZD8701 uses next-generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology to selectively reduce human forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) expression in regulatory T cells, reversing their immunosuppressive function. FOXP3 ASOs alone or with programmed cell death protein (ligand) 1 (PD-[L]1) inhibition attenuated tumor growth in mice. We report a phase I study of AZD8701 alone or combined with durvalumab

Purpose: PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome (PHTS) is an autosomal dominant cancer-predisposition and overgrowth syndrome occurring due to pathogenic germline variants in the PTEN gene, with an increased risk of both benign and malignant tumours involving the breast, colon, endometrium, thyroid, skin, and kidney. The objective of these clinical guidelines was to use the latest knowledge to generate an

Schwannomatoses (SWN) are distinct cancer predisposition syndromes caused by germline pathogenic variants in the genes NF2, SMARCB1, or LZTR1. There is significant clinical overlap between these syndromes with the hallmark of increased risk for cranial, spinal and peripheral schwannomas. Neurofibromatosis type 2 was recently renamed as NF2-related SWN and is the most common SWN syndrome with increased

Purpose: To evaluate whole-tumor histogram analysis of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), in predicting the efficacy of imatinib, a c-KIT inhibitor, for treating patient derived models derived from sinonasal mucosal melanomas (MMs). Experimental Design: This study included 38 patients with histologically confirmed sinonasal

Defining patterns of acquired resistance has important prognostic and therapeutic implications in patients with lung cancer. Longitudinal biomarker analysis has enhanced our understanding of tumor biology and treatment response. However, the role of temporally informed biomarkers in guiding clinical decisions, such as local therapy intervention, remains unproven.

Purpose: Plasma-based liquid biopsy tests can detect tumor-specific genetic alterations and offer many advantages that complement tissue-based Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP). However, age-related clonal hematopoiesis (CH) mutations can confound liquid biopsy results and potentially lead to incorrect therapy choice. Experimental Design: We assessed the landscape of 16,812 liquid profiles across

Purpose: EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibodies are essential for managing RAS WT metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but their limited efficacy necessitates exploring immunological and metabolic factors influencing response. This study evaluated glutamine metabolism targeting with EGFR inhibition to identify response biomarkers in patients with prior anti-EGFR treatment progression. Experimental Design:

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib as adjuvant targeted therapy for completely resected localized high-grade soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Patients and Methods: Patients with localized high-grade STS after complete resection were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either oral 12 mg anlotinib or placebo once daily on days 1-14 every 21 days as a cycle, with

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors can significantly extend survival when given in combination with endocrine therapy in hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer patients. However, their activity has been relatively underexplored in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). Methods: We conducted a single-arm phase II study of abemaciclib monotherapy

PURPOSE: Identifying biomarkers of radiotherapy (RT) response is important for optimising the treatment of early breast cancer (BC). Here we tested the interaction between endothelial cell (EC) expression of phospho-Tyr397-FAK (pY397-FAK) and adjuvant-RT on clinical outcomes after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) within a randomised study. Preclinical data suggests an enhanced effect of RT with low

Sacituzumab govitecan (SG), a Trop-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate, is currently approved to treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and HR+/HER2– breast cancer, and is under clinical investigation for a range of other tumor types. This review describes its mode of action, development, and clinical outcomes. SG is composed of SN-38 (a topoisomerase I inhibitor derived from irinotecan) covalently

Purpose: Argininosuccinate Synthetase 1 (ASS1) silencing in carcinomas and sarcomas leads to a dependence on extracellular arginine for survival. Arginine deprivation therapies, like PEGylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20), have shown limited effectiveness, which may be due to underlying mechanisms that inhibit apoptosis. Experimental Design: The effects of ADI-PEG20 on cell cycle regulation, apoptosis

Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors and is associated with a poor response to anticancer therapies. Hypoxia also induces metabolic changes, such as a switch to glycolysis. This glycolytic switch causes acidification of the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby attenuating the anticancer immune response. A promising therapeutic strategy to reduce hypoxia and thereby sensitize tumors to irradiation

Purpose: Next-generation sequencing assays for circulating tumor DNA analysis are routinely used in the care of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. However, variable assay sensitivities in detection of fusions have been reported. Here we report on the performance of detecting RET rearrangements in plasma across three commercial NGS laboratories. Methods: Banked plasma from the phase

Purpose: Non-invasive prognostic biomarkers to inform clinical decision-making are an urgent unmet need for the management of patients with glioblastoma (GBM). We previously showed that higher circulating cell-free DNA concentration [ccfDNA] is associated with worse survival in GBM. However, the biology underlying this is unknown. Experimental Design: We prospectively enrolled 129 patients with treatment-naïve

Background: Radio-chemotherapy remains the mainstay of glioblastoma first-line treatment after extended surgery, but the prognosis is still poor. PARP inhibitors like olaparib may improve glioblastoma outcomes. We implemented a phase 1-2a trial to assess the safety and efficacy of olaparib combined with standard radio-chemotherapy as a first-line treatment in unresected glioblastoma patients. We herein

Background: Data in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) xenografts defined the seleno-L-methionine (SLM) dose and the plasma selenium concentrations associated with the enhancement of HIF1α/2α degradation, stabilization of tumor vasculature, enhanced drug delivery, and efficacy of axitinib. The data provided the rationale for the development of this phase I clinical trial of SLM and axitinib in

LINE-1 retrotransposons, comprising 17% of the genome, drive cancer instability through hypomethylation. The DIAMOND assay, targeting LINE-1 hypomethylation with bisulfite sequencing of cell free DNA, achieved AUCs of 88% to 100% across six cancer types, surpassing mutation-based diagnostics and suggesting utility in early cancer detection and management.

Purpose: After failing primary and secondary hormonal therapy, castration-resistant and neuroendocrine prostate cancer metastatic to the bone is invariably lethal, although treatment with docetaxel and carboplatin can modestly improve survival. Therefore, agents targeting biologically relevant pathways in PCa and potentially synergizing with docetaxel and carboplatin in inhibiting bone metastasis growth

Purpose: Identifying therapeutic targets for Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC) of the colon and rectum is a clinical challenge due to the lack of Patient-Derived Organoids (PDO) or Xenografts (PDX). We present a robust method to establish PDO and PDX models to answer address this unmet need. We demonstrate that these models identify novel therapeutic strategies targeting therapy resistance and peritoneal

Background: While detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) weeks after surgery is linked to recurrence for other solid tumors, the optimal time point for ctDNA assessment as a prognostic biomarker following chemoradiation for anal cancer is undefined. Methods: Patients with stages I-III anal cancer treated with chemoradiation between 12/2020-5/2024 were evaluated for HPV ctDNA status at baseline

Background: Race/ethnicity may affect outcomes in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) due to biological and social determinants. We evaluated the impact of race/ethnicity on clinical, socioeconomic, and genomic characteristics, clinical trial participation, and receipt of genotype-matched therapy among patients with MBC. Methods: A retrospective study of patients with MBC who underwent cell-free DNA testing

Purpose: Receptor CUB-domain containing- protein 1 (CDCP1) was evaluated as a target for detection and treatment of breast cancer. Experimental Design: CDCP1 expression was assessed immunohistochemically in tumors from 423 patients (119 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); 75 HER2+; 229 ER+/HER2- including 228 primary tumors, 229 lymph node and 47 distant metastases). Cell cytotoxicity induced in

Purpose: The prognostic value of molecular residual disease (MRD) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is well-established, with treatment-guiding results anticipated. Here, we present updated analyses from our previous published cohort study of 261 NSCLC patients undergoing complete resection. Experimental Design: 261 patients with stage I-III lung cancer who underwent radical surgery were enrolled

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major cause of (pre)malignant cervical lesions. We previously demonstrated that Vvax001, a replication-incompetent Semliki Forest virus (SFV) vaccine encoding HPV type 16 (HPV16) E6 and E7, induced potent anti-E6 and -E7 cytotoxic T-cell responses. Here, we investigated the clinical efficacy of Vvax001 in patients with HPV16-positive cervical intraepithelial

Purpose: Innate immune cell-based therapies have shown promising antitumor activity against solid and hematologic malignancies. AFM24, a bispecific innate cell engager, binds CD16A on natural killer (NK) cells/macrophages and EGFR on tumor cells, redirecting antitumor activity towards tumors. The safety and tolerability of AFM24 was evaluated in this Phase 1/2a dose escalation/dose expansion study

Background: We evaluated the non-cyclic dinucleotide stimulator of interferon genes agonist MK-2118 ± pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas. Methods: This first-in-human study (NCT03249792) enrolled patients with refractory, advanced solid tumors or lymphomas. Patients received intratumoral (IT) MK-2118 100-20,000 µg (arm 1), IT MK-2118 900-15,000 µg plus intravenous (IV)

Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients with tumors enriched for the basal-like molecular subtype exhibit enhanced resistance to standard-of-care treatments and have significantly worse overall survival compared with patients with classic subtype–enriched tumors. It is important to develop genomic resources, enabling identification of novel putative targets in a statistically rigorous

Purpose: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is currently approved for treating metastatic breast cancer (MBC) which is HER2-positive (immunohistochemistry [IHC] score of 3+ or ISH positivity) or HER2-low (IHC score of 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH negative), as well as for HER2-positive gastric cancer, HER2-mutant lung cancer, and HER2 overexpressing solid tumors. Given the increasing utilization of T-DXd, we sought

Purpose: Recent clinical advances with the approval of antibody-drug conjugates targeting Trop-2 such as sacituzumab-govitecan and datopotomab-deruxtecan have garnered tremendous interest for their therapeutic efficacy in numerous tumor types including breast and lung cancers. ImmunoPET can stratify tumor avidity, clarifying patient eligibility for ADC therapy as well as a diagnostic companion during

Purpose: Orvacabtagene autoleucel (orva-cel; JCARH125), a CAR T-cell therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), was evaluated in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients in the EVOLVE phase 1/2 study (NCT03430011). We applied a modified piecewise model to characterize orva-cel transgene kinetics and assessed the impact of various covariates on its pharmacokinetics (PK). Experimental

Purpose: Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a highly aggressive malignancy defined by the loss of the SMARCB1 tumor suppressor. It mainly affects young individuals of African descent with sickle cell trait, and it is resistant to conventional therapies used for other renal cell carcinomas. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers for early detection and disease monitoring of RMC. Experimental

Purpose: Therapeutic efficacy of KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitors (KRASG12Ci) in KRASG12C-mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) varies widely. The activation status of RAS signaling in tumors with KRASG12C mutation remains unclear, as its ability to cycle between the active GTP-bound and inactive GDP-bound states may influence downstream pathway activation and therapeutic responses. We hypothesized that

Purpose: Mesothelin (MSLN) is highly expressed in high grade serous/ endometrioid ovarian cancers (HGOC). Anetumab ravtansine (AR) is an antibody drug conjugate directed at MSLN antigen with a tubulin polymerization inhibitor. We assessed safety, activity and pharmacokinetics of the combination AR/bevacizumab (Bev) (ARB) versus weekly paclitaxel (wP)/Bev (PB) in patients with platinum resistant/refractory

Background: The role of activating alterations in the MAPK pathway in predicting immunotherapy efficacy in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients is largely unknown. The aims of the randomized, phase II SQUINT trial were to assess the efficacy of nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NI) versus platinum-based chemotherapy plus nivolumab (N-CT) and to identify clinically available biomarkers of response

Purpose: A first-in-human phase one study was conducted in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients to assess the safety and tolerability of VK-2019, a small molecule selective inhibitor of Epstein-Barr virus Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA1). Patients and Methods: Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies, including circulating tumor EBV DNA plasma levels, were performed. Twenty-three patients received VK-2019

PURPOSE: Adavosertib is an oral small molecular inhibitor of Wee1. The Adult Brain Tumor Consortium performed a phase I study of adavosertib, radiation (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) as well as a surgical window of opportunity study in recurrent GBM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of adavosertib was determined in adult patients with newly diagnosed

Purpose: Cardiac angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare, aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options. Both sporadic and familial cases occur, with recent links to germline POT1 mutations. The genomic landscape of this disease is poorly understood. Experimental Design: We conducted comprehensive genomic profiling of CAS to assess the burden of germline predisposition and identify other recurrent genomic

Background: Investigator-initiated trials (IITs) may address important biological and clinical questions that may not be prioritized by pharmaceutical sponsors. However, little is known about the process by which IIT proposals are evaluated and activated. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of IIT concepts submitted through the Academic Thoracic Oncology Medical Investigators Consortium (ATOMIC)

Background: The phase I Induction trial (NCT04287894) assessed the feasibility and safety of induction immunotherapy (IIT) prior to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Patients with unresectable stage II/III NSCLC were eligible for inclusion. Patients received either one cycle of tremelimumab (75mg) with two cycles of durvalumab

PURPOSE EXONERATE (EXOsome and cell-free micro-RNAs of anti-EGFR ResistAnce) was an open-label, biomarker interventional study designed to develop, test, and validate a liquid biopsy predictive of progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and objective response rate (ORR) for first-line EGFR inhibitors in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed

PURPOSE Oncogenic mutations in KRAS have been identified in > 85% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases. G12D, G12V, and G12R are the most frequent variants. Using large clinical and genomic databases, this study characterizes prognostic and molecular differences between KRAS variants, focusing on KRAS G12D and G12R. METHODS PDAC samples were tested using DNA and RNA sequencing. MAPK activation

Introduction: Elacestrant has shown significantly prolonged progression-free survival compared to standard-of-care endocrine therapy in estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive), HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (BC), while potential benefit in early-stage disease requires further exploration. The SOLTI-ELIPSE window-of-opportunity trial investigated the biological changes induced by a short course

Cell cycle checkpoints are stringent quality control mechanisms that regulate cell cycle progression and division. Cancer cells often develop a dependency on the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint to facilitate DNA repair and resolve intrinsic or therapy-induced DNA damage. This dependency leads to therapy resistance, continuous cell division, and disease progression. Targeting G2/M checkpoints has been heavily

Purpose: Two randomized clinical trials (STOMP and ORIOLE) demonstrated that stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) can prolong ADT-free survival or progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with metachronous oligometastatic prostate cancer (omCSPC) patients. While most omCSPC patients have a more modest delay in progression, a small subset achieves a durable response following SABR. We investigated

On April 23, 2024, FDA granted accelerated approval to tovorafenib, a type II RAF kinase inhibitor, for the treatment of patients 6 months of age and older with relapsed or refractory pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) harboring a BRAF fusion or rearrangement, or BRAF V600 mutation. Efficacy was evaluated in FIREFLY-1 (NCT04775485), a single-arm, open-label, multicenter trial that enrolled patients

The success of targeted therapies in oncogene-driven cancer is limited by adaptive or acquired treatment resistance, leading to disease progression. A recent study reports that YAP-dependent HER3 activation constitutes a therapeutic vulnerability of adaptive resistance to RET-targeted therapies in RET-altered cancers, highlighting a promising strategy to improve RET-inhibitor tumor responses.

PURPOSE: More active high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) regimens are needed for autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) for refractory lymphomas. Seeking HDC enhancement with a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, we observed marked synergy between olaparib and vorinostat/gemcitabine/busulfan/melphalan (GemBuMel) against lymphoma cell lines, mediated by inhibition of DNA damage repair. Our preclinical

Background: KRAS inhibitors are revolutionizing the treatment of NSCLC, but clinico-genomic determinants of treatment efficacy warrant continued exploration. Methods: Patients with advanced KRASG12C-mutant NSCLC treated with adagrasib (KRYSTAL-1-NCT03785249) were included in the analysis. Pre-treatment NGS data were collected per protocol. HTG EdgeSeq Transcriptome Panel was used for gene expression

Purpose: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that is essential for the survival and immune sequestration of cancer cells. We conducted a phase 1 study of TTI‑101, a first-in-class, selective small-molecule inhibitor of STAT3, in patients with advanced metastatic cancer. Patients and Methods: Patients were treated with TTI-101 orally twice daily in 28-day

While deemed potentially curative, surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with >70% risk of post-operative relapse. Recurrence is uniquely multifactorial in HCC, potentially stemming from metachronous re-occurrence of the original tumor or de novo cancerization. Circulating tumor DNA may improve personalized risk stratification post-resection, a setting where adjuvant immunotherapy

Purpose: The detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) after curative-intent therapy in early breast cancer (EBC) is highly prognostic of disease recurrence. Current ctDNA assays, mainly targeting single nucleotide variants (SNVs), vary in sensitivity and specificity. While increasing the number of SNVs in tumor-informed assays improves sensitivity, structural variants (SVs) may achieve similar or

Purpose: Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) is invariably fatal with the androgen receptor (AR) being a major therapeutic target. AR signaling inhibitors have improved overall survival for men with advanced PCa, but treatment resistance is inevitable and includes reactivation of AR signaling. Novel therapeutic approaches targeting these mechanisms to block tumor growth is an urgent unmet clinical need

Background: Effective treatment for patients with metastatic cancer is limited, particularly for colorectal cancer patients with metastatic liver lesions (mCRC), where accessibility to numerous tumours is essential for favourable clinical outcomes. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) selectively replicate in cancer cells; however, direct targeting of inaccessible lesions is limited when using conventional intravenous