Grey Horizon

Phenotypic profiling in pancreatic cancer: promise meets practical limits

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:31:00 +0000

Findings from the COMPASS trial, aimed at establishing "the feasibility of a comprehensive real-time genomic analysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using whole genome sequencing and RNA sequencing". While phenotypic profiling has been shown to be effective in treatment-based outcomes, a significant challenge is the 1.5-2 months of time required to receive whole genome sequencing results.

Click here to learn more.

Rare cancer patients still have limited access to personalized care in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:52:00 +0000

Findings from a recent study presented at the ESMO Sarcoma and Rare Cancer Congress indicate a substantial gap between precision oncology and real-world access to high-quality cancer treatments, with "only one in five patients with advanced rare cancers able to access treatment matched through individual molecular profiling." In addition, the study found very limited patient enrollment in clinical trials for rare cancer care; out of 304 patients recommended for clinical trials, only 6 were enrolled."

Click here to learn more.

Program details: Morfouace M, et al.Final analysis of the pan-European Arcagen study for molecular profiling and access to treatment for rare cancers: A joint EORTC-EURACAN initiative. ESMO Sarcoma and Rare Cancers Congress 2026 - Abstract 81MO

European Parliament (EP) draft report on Psychosocial Risks at Work (PSR) as a critical opportunity to protect the wellbeing of the cancer workforce

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:59:00 +0000

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) recently unveiled a draft report on "preventing work-related psychosocial risks that can lead to burnout in oncologists." Targeted measures mentioned in the report include adequate staffing levels, worker control over workload, flexible scheduling, limits on overtime, and enhanced job security.

Click here to read the draft report.

Redesigning oncology clinical trials with agentic AI

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:29:00 +0000

Over the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has placed an increasing role in cancer research. AI tools "can be used to help improve the next generation of treatment options for patients in key tumour areas, leveraging real-life data...to combine new and existing therapies." At the recent European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Targeted Anticancer Therapies Congress, the following notion was brought forth: "AI is not the future - it is the present. By learning how to best harness its power, we can help increased the speed and efficiency of personalized care delivery."

Click here to learn more.

Programme details

Reis-Filho J. Transforming R&D with AI. ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies Congress 2026 - Educational Session: The agentic AI advantage: Optimising oncology clinical trials

New survey highlights the role of clinical practice guidelines to improve care for patients with rare cancers

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:20:00 +0000

Results from a recent ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) and EURACAN (European Reference Network to Cancers) had led to a "call for policy action to standardize care pathways for rare cancers after analysis links guidance adherence to patient survival"). According to the survey, conducted between September - October 2025, patients with rare malignancies equate to 650,000 new cases per year, representing 24% if all cancer diagnoses across Europe.

ESMO and EURACAN thus propose the following actions:

Centralize rare cancer surgeries in accredited centres
Enforce mandatory multidisciplinary decision-making and time-critical standards throughout patient diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up
Track adherence to established Clinical Practice Guidelines via national dashboards

Click here to learn more

Overall survival not substantially improved with CDK4/6 inhibitors used in first- compared with second-line treatment in Patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:49:00 +0000

Findings from SONIA, a phase III Dutch study comparing "the sequence of an aromatase inhibitor plus CDK4/6 inhibitor as first-line treatment followed by fulvestrant as second-line treatment (CDK4/6 inhibitor first-line group") did not improve overall survival compared with second-line treatment. Rather, this treatment regimen increased treatment-related and financial toxic effects in patients with HR-positive HER-2 negative advanced breast cancer. Following an analysis of 1050 patients enrolled in SONIA, median overall survival was 47.9 months with first-line CDK4/6 inhibitor and 48.1 months with second-line CDK4/6 inhibitor

To learn more about the SONIA study, click here.

Sources mentioned:

Wortelboer N, van Ommen-Nijhof A, Konings IR, et al. Overall Survival With First-Line vs Second-Line CDK4/6 Inhibitor Use in Advanced Breast Cancer A Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA Oncology; Published online 19 February 2026. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.6585
Valenza C, Burstein HJ. Lessons From the SONIA Trial on Timing of CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Advanced Breast Cancer—The Sooner, the Better? JAMA Oncology; Published online 19 February 2026. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.6345

Research unlocks insights into lung cancer evolution from electronic medical records

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 22:45:00 +0000

A recently completed study at the University Hospital of Toulouse, France emphasized the benefits of a "domain-specific natural language processing (NLP) pipeline...in extracting clinically meaningful information from diverse clinical documents of patients with non-small cell lung cancer." Following an analysis of 1,028 discharge summaries and external consultation letters from 120 non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing oral targeted therapy, "the domain-adapted NLP solution achieved an F1 score of 79.7% for tumor evolution concept extraction and 62.0% for temporality alignment."

To read more about this study, click here.

Source mentioned:

Vinot, C., et al. "Automated extraction of temporalized tumor evolution from oncology EMRs using natural language processing." ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology 11 (2026): 100660.

Worse survival among patients diagnosed with cancer during first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:12:00 +0000

A recently published U.S. population-based cohort study found "significant reductions in 1-year cause-specific survival rates among patients diagnosed with both early-stage and late-stage cancer in 2020 and 2021." Compared to cancer patients diagnosed between 2015-2019, patients with a diagnosis of esophageal cancer (early-stage, 3.67%-3.89%), colorectal cancer (0.78%-1.08%) and prostate cancer (late-stage, 0.64%-0.77%)), were noted to have the largest site-specific survival reductions during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors of this cohort study thus propose that "swift action should be taken to increase cancer screening, rebuild healthcare capacity, and improve patient communication."

Source mentioned:

Burus T, Damgacioglu H, Huang B, et al. Survival of Patients Diagnosed With Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic . JAMA Oncology; Published online 5 February 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.6332

Trustworthy and explainable AI – a key to equitable oncology

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:20:00 +0000

Trustworthiness of artificial intelligence (AI) applications and validating data analysis in cancer care was recently discussed at the ESMO Women for Oncology Forum.

Click here to read about an interview with Alessandra Pedrocchi, founder of the laboratory for oncology at the National Cancer Institute in Milan.

RAS inhibition in pancreatic cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 14:37:00 +0000

The Experimental Oncology Group at the National Research Centre (CNIO) in Madrid has recently unveiled findings from genetically engineered mice afflicted with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The mice "underwent rapid apoptotic cell death that resulted in complete tumour regressions and remained tumour-free for over 200 days post-treatment." While results of these animal studies are promising towards determining therapeutic vulnerabilities of pancreatic cancer, Dr. Ben Westphalen, chair of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Precision Oncology Task Force cautions that these results cannot yet be applied to patient care. More work is needed to determine side effects of the triple combination therapy in humans.

Click here to learn more about this news story.

Structured exercise enters ESMO guidelines for colon cancer as recommended treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:35:00 +0000

The European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) has released an update to their colon cancer guidelines, whereby "physical activity, when personalized and delivered as a structured program" is now recommended...for patients with resected stage III or high-risk stage II colon cancer." Over a period of 3 years, 889 stage III or stage II high-risk colon cancer patients enrolled in the CHALLENGE study saw significant improvements in disease-free survival over 5 years (80.3%) compared to 73.9% of patients who received health education materials and standard surveillance with no structured exercise program.

Click here to learn more about the CHALLENGE study.

European parliament adopts its position on the Critical Medicines Act, strengthening security of cancer care in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:59:00 +0000

The European Parliament recently adopted first-reading of the Critical Medicines Act, expanding "collaborative procurement and solidarity mechanisms, explicitly acknowledging their relevance to specialized treatments, including in oncology." Now entering interinstitutional negotiations, the Critical Medicines Act ensures that continuity of care for cancer patients will remain a key focus area for European Union health policy.

To read more about the Critical Medicines Act, click here.

Biological mechanism enabling breast cancer to spread to the brain uncovered

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:18:00 +0000

Researchers from the Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences in Tel Aviv, in partnership with researchers in 14 laboratories in Israel, USA, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Austria, have uncovered "a mechanism that allows breast cancer to send metastases to the brain - a highly lethal occurrence for which there is currently no effective treatment." Following injection of cancer cells with or without functional gene P53, results indicated that "cells with disrupted P53 activity thrived much more." These findings are crucial towards developing new drugs and personalized monitoring for early detection and treatment of brain metastases.

Click here to learn more.

Source:

Laue K, Pozzi S, Zerbib J, et al. p53 inactivation drives breast cancer metastasis to the brain through SCD1 upregulation and increased fatty acid metabolism. Nat Genet. Published online December 29, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41588-025-02446-1

Grey Horizon postings will resume week of January 5, 2026.

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:44:00 +0000

To all Grey Horizon readers,

Thank you for your continued support of this blog. Postings will resume the week of January 5, 2026.

Season's Greetings and all the best for the new year.

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy and understanding anticancer immunity

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:43:00 +0000

Study results currently being presented at the ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress (held in London, England, December 10-12, 2025) showcase the rise of neoadjuvant immunotherapy studies "from small investigator-led window-of-opportunity...to standard of care paradigms across various tumour types." Using triple-negative breast cancer and early-stage non-small cell lung cancer as examples, treating patients before surgery provides "access to living tumour ecosystems responding - or not- to immunotherapy."

Click here to read more and note the Immuno-Oncology Congress program details below:

Mulder K, et al. Residual tumour immune microenvironment shapes relapse risk in early TNBC following immunotherapy. ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 - Abstract 328MO

Nijman H, et al. Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition skews the B cell response in mismatch repair deficient endometrial cancer. ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 - Abstract 329MO

Pircher A, et al. Neoadjuvant induction with pembrolizumab (Pembro) plus lenvatinib (Len) in resectable early-stage NSCLC impacts the tumor microenvironment (TME): Clinical results including multi-omic deconvolution of the TME from the INNWOP01 study. ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2025 - LBA1

Going beyond protocol is key for young people with cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:06:00 +0000

Recently, at the ESMO Asia Congress 2025, emphasis was placed on the diagnosis of cancer in adolescents and young adults (AYA), which "varies considerably by age, sex, and socioeconomic status." While Western countries are increasingly dedicating research pursuits to AYA cancer care, "countries with low and low-middle sociodemographic indices" carry high AYA cancer burden.

Click here to learn more:

ESMO Publishes First-Ever Guidance on Validation Requirements for AI-Based Biomarkers in Oncology

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:31:00 +0000

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has released the Basic Requirements for AI-Based Biomarkers in Oncology (EBAI) framework, "the first comprehensive guidance for the safe, trustworthy and effective integration of AI-derived biomarkers in cancer care." The framework provides guidance for developers, clinicians, regulators and healthcare institutions on means of integrating digital technologies in cancer care.

To view the complete framework, click here.

Source mentioned:

ESMO Basic Requirements for AI-based Biomarkers In Oncology (EBAI)
DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2025.11.009

ESMO launches first congress on artificial intelligence and digital oncology: a milestone in shaping the future of cancer care

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:54:00 +0000

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) recently launched the inaugural Congress on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Oncology, taking place in Berlin this week, November 12-14, 2025. With over 1100 participants scheduled to attend, the conference program will include discussions of:

Multimodal AI for clinical decision support, showcasing applications in molecular tumour boards and real-world data integration.
AI-based biomarkers for precision oncology, featuring discussions on validation frameworks and predictive modelling, including the announcement of the imminent publication of the ESMO Basic Requirements for AI-based Biomarkers in Oncology (EBAI) framework
Generative AI and large language models, with keynote lectures featuring speakers from Google DeepMind and Harvard Medical School.
Digital health in practice, exploring wearable technologies, remote monitoring, decentralised trials.
Ethics, regulation, and patient perspectives, addressing trust, explainability and the societal implications of AI in oncology.

To learn more about this conference, click here.

Rucaparib monotherapy provides long-term benefit as first-line maintenance for patients with advanced ovarian cancer with and without HRD

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:33:00 +0000

Results of ATHENA-MONO/GOG-3020/ENGOT-ov45, a phase III trial investigating rucaparib as a monotherapy in first-line maintenance treatment for advanced ovarian cancer patients, who presented in poster format at the recent ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncology) conference in Berlin, Germany. The study concluded that "sustained long-term improvement with rucaparib was observed in all subgroups examined regardless of HRD or risk status, with 29% of patients in the rucaparib group remaining progressing free at 5 years."

To read more about this study, click here.

Sources mentioned:

Kristeleit RS, Ghamande S, Lisyanskaya AS, et al. Rucaparib maintenance for newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer: interim overall survival, progression-free survival, and safety at 5 years of follow-up from the phase III ATHENA-MONO/GOG-3020/ENGOT-ov45 study . Annals of Oncology; Published online 18 October 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2025.10.007
Abstract 1073P – Kristeleit RS, Ghamande S, Lisyanskaya AS, et al. 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) with rucaparib (RUCA) maintenance in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer in ATHENA-MONO (GOG-3020/ENGOT-ov45) . Annals of Oncology 2025;36(Suppl 2):S721-722.

Antitumour activity of patritumab deruxtecan in heavily pretreated patients with active brain metastases of breast cancer and NSCLC

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 19:56:00 +0000

Results from TUXEDO-3, a prospective multicentre open-label single-arm multicohort phase II study were recently published on The Lancet Oncology. TUXEDO-3 evaluated patritumab deruxtecan in 3 patient cohorts: 1. patients with metastatic breast cancer with untreated or progressing brain metastases after local treatment"; 2. "patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with untreated or progressing brain metastases after local treatment" 3. "patients with treatment-naive leptomeningeal disease (LMD) or LMD progressing after radiotherapy from any advanced solid tumour."

To read more about the TUXEDO-3 study, click here.

Sources mentioned:

Bartsch R, Marhold M, Garde-Noguera J, et al. Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) in patients with active brain metastases of breast cancer (TUXEDO-3): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial . The Lancet Oncology 2025;26(11):1467-1478.
Fuereder T, Garde-Noguera J, García-Mosquera JJ, et al. Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) in patients with active brain metastases of non-small cell lung cancer (TUXEDO-3): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial . The Lancet Oncology 2025;26(11):1454-1466.
Jerzak KJ, Leighl NB, Sahgal A. Systemic therapy for brain metastases: a changing landscape . The Lancet Oncology 2025;26(11):P1398-1400.

Rethinking the limits of tissue-agnostic cancer therapy

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:55:00 +0000

A recent editorial published in the ESMO Daily Reporter raises questions about the impact of precision medicine in personalized cancer care, considering that "patients are still largely treated according to the primary organ where their cancer originates." Tumour-agnostic agents, drugs approved if cancer cells cause gene or protein changes, no matter where in the body the cancer originated, calls for physicians and patients to engage in precision medicine, "a first step toward a common understanding...in which tissue-agnostic development should be preferred to conventional trials."

Click here to learn more.

Thymic health linked to cancer patients’ response to immunotherapy

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 14:51:00 +0000

A recent international study focused on immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment has shown that higher thymic health was associated with a 35% lower risk of cancer progression in a group of 1200 non-small cell lung cancer patients. While further validation of this finding is required, thymic health "could serve as a non-invasive biomarker of adaptive immune competence in a range of different cancers."

To learn more about this study, click here.

Source mentioned:

Abstract 108O - ‘Thymic health is associated with immunotherapy outcomes in patients with cancer ‘, presented by Dr Simon Bernatz during Proffered Paper session 1: Basic science & Translational research on Saturday, 18 October, from 10:15 to 11:45 (CEST) in Hall 5.2 (Nuremberg Auditorium)

Increased risk of haematologic malignancies among children and adolescents exposed to radiation from medical imaging

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:28:00 +0000

Findings from Risk of Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Associated with Medical Imaging (RIC) a cohort study of 3 700 000 children from Canada and the U.S. found a "significant dose-response relation between cumulative radiation dose to bone marrow and haematologic malignancies risk." The RIC study further found that susceptibility of children to radiation-induced cancer is high due to longer life expectancy compared to adults. In addition, a European EPI-CT study indicates a "50% higher risk among children undergoing two or three CT scans than among those undergoing one scan."

To read more about this study, click here.

Source mentioned:

Smith-Bindman R, Alber SA, Kwan ML, et al. Medical Imaging and Pediatric and Adolescent Hematologic Cancer Risk . NEJM; Published online 17 September 2025. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2502098
Morton LM. Studying Cancer Risks Associated with Diagnostic Procedures — Interpret Wisely . NEJM; Published online 17 September 2025. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe2511613

Study presents an AI-guided approach to target cancer antigens

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:33:00 +0000

A recent study published in Science provides proof-of-concept that "generative artificial intelligence can offer a valid alternative approach to design precise, functional, and adaptable peptide binders capable of redirecting T cell responses against cancer antigens". While the authors are optimistic regarding AI-guided methods, they do caution that further investigation is required to determine long-term impact on immune cell function.

To learn more about this study, click here.

Source mentioned:

Johansen KH, Wolff DS, Scapolo B, Fernández-Quintero ML, Risager Christensen C, Loeffler JR, Rivera-de-Torre E, Overath MD, Kjærgaard Munk K, Morell O, Viuff MC, Lacunza I, Damm Englund AT, Due M, Gharpure A, Forli S, Rodriguez Pardo C, Tamhane T, Qingjie Andersen E, Haldrup Björnsson K, Fernandes JS, Voss LF, Thumtecho S, Ward AB, Ormhøj M, Reker Hadrup S, Jenkins TP. De novo-designed pMHC binders facilitate T cell-mediated cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. Science. 2025 Jul 24;389(6758):380-385. doi: 10.1126/science.adv0422. Epub 2025 Jul 24. PMID: 40705893.

De-escalated radiotherapy after surgery in HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Vaska) — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:13:00 +0000

A recently published phase III trial in Lancet Oncology, lower doses of adjuvant radiotherapy plus docetaxel "were associated with reduced toxicity and need for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy", impacting a patient's quality of life. Following 194 patients with stage III-IV HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma indicated grade 3 or higher toxic effect "of at least possible attribution to treatment...3 months after radiotherapy.." at 3% in the de-escalated adjuvant radiotherapy group compared to 11% in the standard of care group.

To read more about this study, click here.