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Can advances in antibody-drug conjugate design translate into meaningful survival benefits across more tumor types and earlier treatment settings, without unacceptable toxicity? Having transformed treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer, ADCs are now taking center stage in Madrid, featuring in one-third of the Presidential Symposium late-breaking abstracts. These studies illustrate a shift from established HER2-directed approaches, toward a broader landscape of targets, payloads and clinical applications. In this article, we examine the key trials to watch and the clinical questions they aim to address.
With the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 fast approaching, attention is turning to Madrid, where the meeting is held from 23–27th October. Whether you are joining onsite or via the virtual platform, the three Presidential Symposia are the sessions not to miss. This year they carry 12 late-breaking abstracts (LBAs) spanning melanoma, lung, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, gynecological and rare cancers. With close to 300 scientific and educational sessions to choose from, we know the programme can feel overwhelming. So we have put together a quick guide to the headline sessions: when and where they run, who is presenting, and links to explore each one in the programme planner, so you can decide which to prioritize.
Patient experience findings from the Phase 2 IZALCO study.
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 promises a compelling program of clinical data, spanning personalized cancer vaccines, next-generation antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) and novel approaches to targeted therapy and immunotherapy. With several studies already generating excitement following positive topline announcements, all eyes will be on the full results and their potential implications for clinical practice. Below, we highlight the 12 presidential abstracts to watch, the key findings to look out for and the questions these studies could help answer.
This interactive, patient-focused activity explores key considerations in selecting first-line and subsequent therapies for elderly patients with active CLL.
The microbiome has moved rapidly from an emerging area of cancer research towards a potential component of precision oncology. Yet despite compelling biological and observational evidence, important questions remain over how this knowledge should be translated safely into patient care.
As EORTC enters a new chapter under the Presidency of Professor Benjamin Besse (Gustave Roussy Institute and Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France), the organization is looking to accelerate academic research while keeping patients and scientific independence at its core. In this detailed and in-depth Q&A, Prof Besse shares his priorities for EORTC, from supporting the next generation of investigators and broadening clinical trial populations, to giving greater weight to quality of life and patient perspectives. He also considers how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, could reshape the way cancer research is conducted.
How can clinicians distinguish true progression from pseudoprogression in MGMT-methylated glioblastoma? Dr Jigisha Thakkar discusses the clinical implications of time to true progression in MGMT-methylated glioblastoma and approaches to distinguishing pseudoprogression from treatment failure.
Dr Igor Gómez-Randulfe Rodríguez examines four studies from WCLC 2026 that could influence the evolving management of small-cell lung cancer and molecularly defined non-small-cell lung cancer, from B7-H3 antibody-drug conjugates and MRI surveillance to emerging therapies targeting EGFR exon 20 insertions and ROS1.
The 2026 World Conference on Lung Cancer delivered several results with the potential to change clinical practice. My main takeaway was the speed at which effective options are multiplying in both small-cell lung cancer and molecularly defined non-small-cell lung cancer. The immediate advance is welcome, but it also makes treatment selection more complex: mature survival, intracranial control, toxicity, sequencing and access will increasingly matter as much as response rate or progression-free survival.
From AI and real-time toxicity monitoring to exercise and behavioural interventions, Prof Joanne Bowen explores the innovations reshaping supportive cancer care and outlines MASCC’s priorities for translating emerging evidence into meaningful improvements for patients.
The AIEOP-BFM ALL 2017 trial represents one of the clearest demonstrations to date that frontline immunotherapy can outperform and out-safeguard conventional chemotherapy in pediatric ALL. Beyond its immediate implications for high-risk disease, the study may provide the framework for broader treatment redesign across ALL risk groups, with future trials now focused on how far chemotherapy exposure can be safely reduced while preserving—and potentially improving—long-term cure. In this exclusive Q&A, Prof Martin Schrappe suggests this may be only the beginning of chemotherapy de-escalation in childhood ALL.
For almost two decades, R-CHOP has remained the established frontline standard for DLBCL, yet approximately 40% of patients are not cured with first-line therapy. At EHA 2026, Prof Georg Lenz presented new phase 3 data from the frontMIND study suggesting that this long-standing backbone may now be open to improvement. The study showed that adding tafasitamab and lenalidomide to R-CHOP significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in previously untreated patients with high-risk DLBCL and high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL), marking one of the first positive frontline intensification trials in this setting in recent years.
Several important lymphoma studies presented at ASCO 2026 provided new data across newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory disease settings. The studies spanned aggressive B-cell lymphomas and classic Hodgkin lymphoma, evaluating novel antibody-based combinations, epigenetic targeting strategies and chemotherapy-sparing approaches. Dr Tycel Phillips provides his expert insights into the six most important studies of the meeting.
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