IOncology

The 27th National Clinical Oncology Conference and 2024 CSCO Annual Meeting, jointly hosted by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) and the Beijing Xisike Clinical Oncology Research Foundation, took place from September 25 to 29, 2024, in Xiamen. During this prestigious event, CSCO awarded Academician Binghe Xu with the “2024 Annual Achievement Award” in recognition of his leadership in the groundbreaking multi-center PHILA study, which has rewritten domestic and international breast cancer treatment guidelines. In an interview with Oncology Frontier at the conference, Professor Xu shared his reflections on the award and insights into China’s progress in clinical drug research.

As antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and precision medicine continue to develop, breast cancer is entering a new era of treatment. At the 2024 CSCO Annual Conference, Dr. Jian Zhang from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Dr. Nadia Harbeck from LMU University Hospital, Munich,Germany engaged in a deep discussion about the latest developments in breast cancer treatment. The two professors shared insights into the remarkable efficacy and safety management strategies of ADC drugs in treating HR+ advanced breast cancer patients, while also exploring the critical role of genetic testing in guiding individualized treatment. This dialogue not only reveals the global cutting-edge trends in breast cancer treatment but also provides valuable guidance for future clinical practice, leading the field towards more precise and individualized treatment approaches.

The 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress took place from September 13 to 17 in Barcelona, Spain. As one of the largest and most prestigious clinical oncology conferences in the world, it showcased numerous cutting-edge research findings, driving global advancements in oncology. In the field of breast cancer, Dr. Xiaojia Wang from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital presented a study on first-line treatment for advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) using a combination of two immunotherapy drugs and chemotherapy. The study, conducted alongside Professor Quchang Ouyang from Hunan Cancer Hospital, highlighted the promising outcomes of combining ivonescimab, a dual PD-1/VEGF inhibitor, with chemotherapy. This research was selected for oral presentation (#347MO) at the ESMO Congress, showcasing the innovation and research achievements of Chinese scientists.

At the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, Dr. Myriam Chalabi from Amsterdam, Netherlands, unveiled the latest results from the NICHE-2 study, showing a groundbreaking three-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 100% in patients with locally advanced mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) colon cancer undergoing neoadjuvant immunotherapy. This large-scale study provides critical evidence supporting neoadjuvant immunotherapy, overcoming the limitations of the NICHE-1 study, which had a smaller sample size. In this article, we summarize the key findings of NICHE-2 and discuss the latest results from NICHE-3, presenting the latest advancements in this field.

The 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO 2024) Annual Meeting took place from September 13 to 17 in Barcelona, Spain. The team led by Dr. Yao Zhu from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center presented their research on the neoadjuvant treatment of localized high-risk prostate cancer, featuring a combination of ARSi and PARPi, which was selected for poster presentation (1625P). In an exclusive interview with Urology Frontier, Dr. Yao Zhu shared insights into how their research is contributing to the global understanding and treatment of prostate cancer, showcasing China’s expertise in this field.

Dr. Jiafu Ji, Dr. Ziyu Li, and Dr.  Lin Shen from Peking Cancer Hospital have co-authored a research paper titled “Cadonilimab with chemotherapy in HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: the phase 1b/2 COMPASSION-04 trial”, published online in Nature Medicine. The study addresses several critical clinical issues, such as the limited benefit of PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment, the high incidence of adverse effects with PD-1 and CTLA-4 combination therapy, and the ineffectiveness of PD-1 combined with chemotherapy in patients with low or negative CPS scores. To tackle these challenges, the researchers innovatively employed a domestically developed PD-1/CTLA-4 dual-target antibody in the COMPASSION-04 study, marking the first clinical trial globally to evaluate this combination as a first-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer.

The release of studies like HIMALAYA has marked the beginning of the dual immunotherapy era in advanced liver cancer treatment. As the majority of Chinese liver cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, finding the optimal systemic therapy, including durvalumab, in combination with local therapies to further improve patient outcomes has become a research focus. At the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting, held from September 13 to 17 in Barcelona, Spain, Dr. Rongping Guo's team from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center presented the results of their HILL study (982P) in a poster session. The study demonstrated that the combination of durvalumab, lenvatinib, and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) achieved a 2-year overall survival (OS) rate of 94%, with manageable side effects, contributing valuable insights from China for the treatment of advanced liver cancer. Oncology Frontier invited Dr. Rongping Guo for an in-depth interview to discuss the study.

The 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting was held from September 13-17 in Barcelona, Spain. As one of the largest and most prestigious global clinical oncology conferences, it showcased groundbreaking research from experts around the world, advancing the field of oncology. In the hematologic malignancy space, this year's ESMO also featured many key advancements, including research from China. One such study, led by Dr. Hongyan Tong from The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Medical College, was selected for an oral presentation. The study explored the efficacy of Timdarpacept (IMM01) combined with azacitidine (AZA) as a first-line treatment for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) (801 MO). Hematology Frontier had the opportunity to interview Dr. Maria Ma, one of the team members, who provided an in-depth explanation of the study.

The 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO 2024) Annual Meeting will be held from September 13-17 in Barcelona, Spain. At this upcoming ESMO 2024 conference, Dr. Fei Ma from the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College will present two Mini Oral reports (344MO, 349MO) on the novel Trop-2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) ESG401. These two studies not only highlight the significant efficacy of ESG401 in HER2-negative breast cancer with brain metastases but also reveal its broad potential application across different subtypes of metastatic breast cancer. This provides new treatment options for breast cancer patients and opens new directions for the research and development of Trop-2 ADC drugs. Oncology Frontier invited Dr. Fei Ma to introduce the key aspects of these two studies, and we look forward to his exciting presentation at ESMO 2024, contributing Chinese insights and expertise to global breast cancer treatment.

From September 13 to 17, 2024, the highly anticipated European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting took place in Barcelona, Spain. At this prestigious event, three cutting-edge research projects led by Dr. Lin Shen from Peking Cancer Hospital were successfully selected for poster presentations, showcasing the remarkable contributions of Chinese scholars in the field of oncology. Dr. Lin Shen has always emphasized the importance of designing clinical research to solve practical clinical problems, and these three studies exemplify that scientific spirit in action. Oncology Frontier has meticulously compiled the core content of these posters to present readers with an academic feast and to share the latest advancements in oncology.