Editor’s Note: The 28th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) was held in Jinan, Shandong, from September 10 to 14, 2025, under the theme “Standardized Treatment, Innovation-Driven Progress.” The meeting gathered leading scholars from China and abroad for a major exchange of ideas. In the field of breast cancer, Professor Giuseppe Curigliano, President-Elect of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and Professor at the University of Milan, shared the revolutionary progress of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Professor Zefei Jiang, President-Elect of CSCO and oncologist at the General Hospital of the PLA, presented Chinese subgroup data from the DESTINY-Breast09 (DB09) study, which investigated first-line treatment with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) plus pertuzumab for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer, highlighting the bright future of ADC therapy. The two experts sat down with Oncology Frontier to discuss the promising outlook for CSCO–ESMO collaboration and to interpret the clinical impact of DESTINY-Breast09. CSCO x ESMO: Driving Global Cancer Care Forward
Oncology Frontier: Collaboration is a recurring theme in advancing cancer care. As leaders of ESMO and CSCO, could you share your plans for future collaboration and how this partnership will contribute to the development of global oncology?
Prof. Giuseppe Curigliano: First of all, I must emphasize the tremendous contribution of Chinese researchers to global clinical research and innovative drug development. As I mentioned in my plenary lecture yesterday, Chinese teams contributed more than 20% of all enrolled patients in the DESTINY-Breast09 study—an impressive figure that speaks for itself. When we look at the global landscape of new drug development, it is encouraging to see that many breakthroughs are either originating in China or being advanced through international collaboration. I believe the future center of gravity for oncology drug development will shift from the West toward Asia,CSCO has grown into a powerful and highly respected society, and the level of the CSCO Annual Meeting is truly remarkable. Chinese researchers are recognized worldwide; every year, we see several Chinese scholars deliver keynote talks at ASCO and ESMO annual meetings.Looking ahead, how will we deepen collaboration with CSCO? As ESMO President-Elect, I have reached a strategic consensus with current ESMO President Fabrice André: we will launch a deep engagement program in China, visiting cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, holding high-level meetings, and touring major medical centers to explore potential models for collaboration. China’s vast resources and strong educational system offer lessons that we can bring back to Europe to inspire clinical practice.In 2026, ESMO plans to visit China and hold a CSCO–ESMO leadership meeting to discuss shared priorities in education and research, and to identify opportunities for collaboration. A key priority will be the establishment of a CSCO–ESMO Joint Summit to serve as a strategic cooperation platform. I am particularly impressed by CSCO’s efficiency in patient recruitment for clinical trials—so much so that in some global trials without enrollment caps for China, patient accrual in China can be so fast that it leaves investigators in other countries struggling to keep up. We must recognize this achievement and continue to highlight the fact that many newly approved innovative drugs now come from China. ESMO should showcase more Chinese data on its stage.
Prof. Zefei Jiang: On behalf of the CSCO Annual Meeting Organizing Committee, I sincerely thank Professor Curigliano and all ESMO experts, and I warmly welcome you to China. I also wish the upcoming 2025 ESMO Congress great success. As you said, organizing a CSCO–ESMO Joint Summit is a valuable opportunity, and I look forward to co-hosting it at the CSCO Annual Meeting to strengthen exchanges and collaboration.In terms of clinical trial collaboration, as everyone has seen, China contributed more than 260 valuable cases to DESTINY-Breast09. In my presentation today, I shared the superior objective response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate, and progression-free survival (PFS) achieved by the Chinese cohort, which has undoubtedly brought new hope and vitality to breast cancer treatment.Earlier this year, Professor Curigliano and I had an in-depth discussion at the St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference about many innovative drugs developed in China and their future global clinical trials. I hope that in the future, Professor Curigliano will join us again to deepen collaboration and jointly advance cancer care worldwide.
CSCO x ESMO: DESTINY-Breast09 Ushers in a New Era for First-Line ADC Therapy
Oncology Frontier: Both of you presented important talks on ADC therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer at this year’s CSCO meeting. The DESTINY-Breast09 study has been called a milestone in HER2-targeted therapy. Could you discuss its major findings and their significance?
Prof. Giuseppe Curigliano: This study confirms the feasibility of using T-DXd as a first-line treatment and represents a paradigm shift. DESTINY-Breast09 is a prospective, randomized trial comparing T-DXd monotherapy, T-DXd plus pertuzumab (P), and the current standard of care—THP (trastuzumab + pertuzumab + taxane). Data from the T-DXd+P arm were presented at ASCO 2025, while T-DXd monotherapy data have not yet been released. Results showed that T-DXd+P significantly prolonged median PFS to 40.7 months versus 26.9 months with THP, with concordant results between investigator assessment and blinded independent central review (BICR). This unprecedented PFS result will redefine the first-line treatment standard for HER2-positive breast cancer.The median duration of response was 39.2 months, suggesting good long-term tolerability. The incidence of interstitial lung disease (ILD)—a point of clinical concern—was 12.1%, comparable to that reported in DESTINY-Breast04 and DESTINY-Breast06, with most cases being grade 1–2 and only two grade ≥3 events (0.5%). Based on these findings, clinical practice guidelines are poised for a major update, and T-DXd+P will likely become the new first-line standard for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.
Prof. Zefei Jiang: Thank you to Oncology Frontier for your continued support of the CSCO Annual Meeting. Our participation in global clinical research dates back to early studies such as HERA and CLEOPATRA. With the rise of the DESTINY-Breast series, Chinese investigators have had the privilege of contributing to protocol design and discussions.In DESTINY-Breast09, we contributed data from over 260 patients. Following the release of global data at ASCO, we reported results again at CSCO. The greatest beneficiaries of clinical trial participation are, of course, our patients. They gained access to innovative treatments years ahead of approval, at no cost, and have continued receiving therapy with meaningful benefit. For participating physicians, international trials provide access to cutting-edge scientific knowledge, novel management strategies, and a platform to engage with the global oncology community.We have already incorporated this regimen into the 2025 Chinese HER2-Targeted Therapy Consensus, and we expect the HER2 treatment guidelines to follow soon. I hope that T-DXd+P will receive regulatory approval as a first-line therapy in China as soon as possible so that more patients can benefit early.