IOncology

The combination of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (the “T+A” regimen) has established a new standard of care for first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the lack of long-term survival data and uncertainties regarding its effectiveness in complex real-world populations have remained major clinical concerns.

Patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were among the earliest beneficiaries of precision targeted therapy. However, once tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance develops and disease progression occurs, the choice of subsequent therapy has long posed a major challenge for clinicians worldwide. The emergence of innovative treatments such as antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) has brought new hope for overcoming this long-standing dilemma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide. Approximately 60–70% of patients are diagnosed at intermediate or advanced stages, making the pursuit of innovative therapeutic strategies that deliver meaningful survival benefit a long-standing global challenge. Against this backdrop, the TALENTOP study, led by Fan Jia, Academician and Principal Investigator from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, and presented orally at ESMO 2025 by Sun Huichuan, has drawn worldwide attention.

The Phase III BURAN trial, presented at the recent ESMO Congress, evaluated the PI3K inhibitor buparlisib plus paclitaxel in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) who had progressed after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. The study failed to demonstrate improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) compared with paclitaxel alone (median PFS: 4.1 months in both arms; median OS: 9.6 vs 9.7 months), despite a higher objective response rate (ORR) with the combination (30.3% vs 20.7%).

With the rapid evolution of immunotherapy–targeted therapy combinations, the management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has entered a new era. Yet for patients with traditionally high-risk features—such as macrovascular invasion or extrahepatic spread—clinical outcomes have historically remained poor, posing a persistent therapeutic challenge.

For patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) at high postoperative risk, the standard of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has remained unchanged since 2004—despite persistent rates of recurrence and metastasis. Recently, the NIVOPOST-OP trial, led by Yungang Tao of Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, was published in The Lancet, delivering the first definitive breakthrough in nearly 20 years.

HER2-positive breast cancer was once associated with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis. However, with the rapid advancement of targeted therapies—particularly antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs)—this subtype has evolved into a highly treatable and potentially curable disease. In 2025, landmark studies across neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and metastatic settings have reshaped treatment paradigms toward greater precision and individualization. During the 2025 Yixian Breast Cancer Conference and CSCO BC South Forum, Oncology Frontier interviewed Professor Chang Gong from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, who summarized the most impactful annual advances in HER2-positive breast cancer treatment.

The 2025 Yixian Breast Cancer Conference, held alongside the 2025 CSCO Breast Cancer Southern Forum, the Second Chinese Young Breast Cancer Consensus Conference, and the Fourth Yixian Breast Cancer Nursing Conference, took place in Guangzhou on December 26–27, 2025. The meeting focused on standardization of breast cancer care, emerging therapeutic strategies, and precision management in young breast cancer patients, highlighting the latest scientific advances and future clinical directions.

As China’s flagship academic event in breast cancer at the start of each year, the Northern Breast Cancer Forum continues to bridge global scientific advances with localized clinical practice. From the SERENA-6 trial, which pioneers molecular monitoring for endocrine resistance, to the rapid rise of Trop-2–targeted ADCs and expanded access to PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors under national insurance coverage, the past year has witnessed profound shifts in breast cancer management.

Breast cancer has recently surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. The status of regional lymph node involvement remains a key prognostic factor, directly influencing disease staging, treatment planning, and survival outcomes. While axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) has long been the standard for staging, it carries substantial morbidity. As modern breast surgery moves toward precision and minimally invasive approaches, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has replaced ALND as the preferred axillary staging strategy, significantly reducing surgical trauma and complications.