Posts by El Bachir MOURABIT

The clinical use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) offers a promising approach for locally advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers, potentially improving cure rates. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that ICIs combined with chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, anti-HER2, or anti-VEGF agents exhibit synergistic and complementary effects. Compared to chemotherapy alone, these combinations show improved pathologic complete response (pCR) rates, major response rates, ypT0N0 rates, and potentially improve patient outcomes. At the recent 2024 CACA Integrated Gastric Cancer Conference, Prof. Changqing Jing from Shandong Provincial Hospital summarized perioperative ICI trials in gastric cancer, discussing the status of ICIs in neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings and exploring the feasibility of future perioperative immunotherapy combinations.

Led by the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA), top oncology experts across various fields collaborated over a year to develop China’s first integrated oncology guideline, the CACA Integrated Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline, which was published in 2022. As part of a national educational tour on the guideline, Dr. Ye Wei from Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University recently shared insights with Oncology Frontier on the clinical impact of the CACA guideline for colorectal cancer (CRC).

From October 25 to 27, 2024, the 9th Academic Symposium of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association China Conference was held in Wuhan. The conference attracted more than 50 internationally renowned experts and scholars from over 20 countries including the United States, Germany, France, Russia, and Australia, as well as 21 academicians from the two academies and over 700 domestic experts in the field of hepato-pancreato-biliary. At this conference, Professor Eduard Jonas from the Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, and President of the Europe-Africa Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA), delivered a wonderful report titled "Transitioning from guidelines to personalized medicine in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma - a global perspective." we invited Professor Eduard Jonas for an in-depth interview to share fascinating insights on the personalized treatment of liver cancer with colleagues in the field.

The Phase III EMERALD-1 study has shown that for patients with unresectable intermediate to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the combination of durvalumab, bevacizumab, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS) compared to TACE alone. At the 2024 International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) conference, Dr. Stephen L. Chan from the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong presented a safety and efficacy analysis from the EMERALD-1 study, considering treatment timing and baseline liver function. In an interview with Oncology Frontier , he shared the latest insights from this analysis.

Anti-PD-(L)1 therapies have been approved for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, due to limited options, most patients experience disease progression while on anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. At the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting, Dr. Pascale Tomasini from the Multidisciplinary Oncology and Therapeutic Innovations department in Marseille, France, presented findings from the PIONeeR trial—a Phase Ib/IIa study targeting specific resistance pathways in PD-(L)1-resistant advanced NSCLC patients. Oncology Frontier interviewed Dr. Pascale Tomasini on the trial’s main findings, the current treatment strategies for advanced NSCLC patients resistant to PD-(L)1 inhibitors, and future directions.

Recently, the "Expert Consensus on Radiotherapy Combined with Immunotherapy for Unresectable Lung Cancer (2024 Edition)" was published, co-authored by Academician Jinming Yu of Shandong Cancer Hospital, Professor Ying Cheng of Jilin Cancer Hospital, and Professor Liangan Chen of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital. This publication marks a new level of scientific standardization in the multidisciplinary management of radiotherapy and immunotherapy.Oncology Frontier invited Dr. Yong Song from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, one of the core reviewers of the consensus expert group, to share his insights on the consensus guidelines for managing adverse reactions from a respiratory perspective.

The 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress took place from September 13 to 17 in Barcelona, Spain. As an annual highlight in the oncology field, ESMO attracts thousands of leading oncologists from around the world, providing a rich platform for global academic exchange. This year, multiple studies from Dr. Dingwei Ye’s team at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were selected for presentation at ESMO. Among them, Professor Ye led the study on "BL-B01D1, an EGFR x HER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC)," which received significant attention and discussions, showcasing Chinese expertise and innovation in urologic oncology on a global scale. Urology Frontier had the pleasure of inviting Professor Ye to share his insights on these landmark studies.

For patients with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), dual inhibition of EGFR and MET may be the most effective strategy after disease progression on osimertinib, particularly for patients with MET gene amplification (METamp). Dr. Benjamin Besse, Dr. Lodovica Zullo, and Dr. Jordi Remon from the Gustave Roussy Institute analyze therapeutic strategies for METamp-driven resistance following osimertinib treatment in this article.

From October 17-19, 2024, the 18th International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) Annual Conference, a prestigious academic event in the global liver cancer field, took place in Toronto, Canada. Liver cancer experts from around the world convened to discuss hot topics and the latest advancements in the basics and clinical aspects of liver cancer. This conference featured the latest research findings from scholars in the global liver cancer field. This article specially compiled the significant clinical research in the field of liver cancer treatment presented at this ILCA conference for the exchange and learning of peers. Our special correspondent from "Oncology Frontier" attended the conference on-site for in-depth coverage, and more exciting content was expected to be shared!