Explore the biggest breakthroughs shaping ASCO 2026!
The five selected Plenary late-breaking abstracts at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago showcased some of the meeting’s most practice-influencing data. Spotlighting breakthroughs in prostate cancer, sarcoma, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, these phase 3 studies demonstrated meaningful improvements in survival outcomes, highlighting the growing impact of perioperative intensification, precision oncology and novel targeted therapies in difficult-to-treat disease settings.
touchONCOLOGY coverage of ASCO 2026
[Gated]
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PROTEUS: Perioperative apalutamide improves outcomes in high-risk localized prostate cancer
Presenter: Mary-Ellen Taplin, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
The phase 3 PROTEUS trial (NCT03767244) randomized 2,109 patients with high-risk localized or locally advanced prostate cancer to perioperative apalutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or placebo plus ADT with radical prostatectomy. After a median follow-up of 61.7 months, both primary endpoints were met. The pCR/MRD rate was 8.9% versus 1.0% (OR 10.17; 95% CI 5.27-19.64; p<0.0001). Metastasis-free survival was significantly improved with HR 0.80 (95% CI 0.67-0.96; p=0.0169), with 5-year MFS rates of 78.2% versus 73.5%. Grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 39.6% versus 31.0%. The data support perioperative apalutamide plus ADT as a potential new standard for high-risk localized disease.
→ Abstract LBA1: Perioperative (neoadjuvant and adjuvant) apalutamide (APA) + androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) vs placebo (PBO) + ADT with radical prostatectomy (RP) in high-risk localized or locally advanced prostate cancer (HR LPC/LAPC): Final analysis of the PROTEUS phase 3 study
SARC041: Abemaciclib in dedifferentiated liposarcoma
Presenter: Mark Dickson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, USA
The phase 3 randomized double-blind SARC041 study (NCT04967521) evaluated abemaciclib versus placebo in 108 patients with recurrent or metastatic dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Median progression-free survival was significantly improved with abemaciclib at 9.67 months versus 1.52 months with placebo (HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.25–0.59; p<0.001). Objective response rates were 9.3% versus 0% (p=0.057). Median overall survival was not reached with abemaciclib versus 25.45 months with placebo (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.28–1.07; p=0.077). Grade 3 or higher adverse event rates were similar between arms. The study validates CDK4 inhibition as an effective therapeutic strategy in dedifferentiated liposarcoma.
→ Abstract LBA2: SARC041: A phase 3 randomized double-blind study of abemaciclib versus placebo in patients with advanced dedifferentiated liposarcoma
LIBRETTO-432: Adjuvant selpercatinib in RET-positive NSCLC
Presenter: Jonathan Goldman, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
LIBRETTO-432 (NCT04819100), the placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase 3 trial, randomized 151 patients with stage IB-IIIA RET fusion-positive NSCLC to adjuvant selpercatinib or placebo after definitive therapy. In stage II-IIIA disease, event-free survival was significantly improved with selpercatinib (HR 0.172; 95% CI 0.058-0.509; p=0.0003). Median EFS was not reached versus 31.8 months for placebo. Two-year EFS rates were 91.5% versus 61.1%. Blinded independent central review confirmed the findings with HR 0.125 (95% CI 0.028-0.552; p=0.0011). Toxicities were consistent with prior experience, most commonly elevated ALT and AST. These findings further expand the role of adjuvant targeted therapy in molecularly selected early-stage NSCLC.
→ Abstract LBA3: Event-free survival with adjuvant selpercatinib in stage IB-IIIA RET fusion-positive NSCLC: Primary results of the phase 3 LIBRETTO-432 trial
HARMONi-6: Ivonescimab improves overall survival in squamous NSCLC
Presenter: Chen Zhiwei, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
The phase 3 HARMONi-6 study (NCT05840016) compared ivonescimab plus chemotherapy with tislelizumab plus chemotherapy in 532 patients with previously untreated stage III-IV advanced squamous NSCLC. At a median follow-up of 21.4 months, median overall survival was 27.9 months with ivonescimab versus 23.7 months with tislelizumab (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.50-0.87; one-sided P=0.0017). Benefits were consistent across PD-L1 subgroups, including patients with PD-L1 TPS <1% (HR 0.64) and ≥1% (HR 0.68). Safety was manageable with no new safety signals. Investigators described ivonescimab as the first regimen to demonstrate superiority over an active PD-1 inhibitor comparator in first-line squamous NSCLC.
→ Abstract LBA4: Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy versus tislelizumab plus chemotherapy in previously untreated advanced squamous non–small cell lung cancer: Overall survival results of the phase 3 HARMONi-6 trial
RASolute 302: Daraxonrasib in metastatic pancreatic cancer
Presenter: Brian Wolpin, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
The global randomized open-label phase 3 RASolute 302 study (NCT06625320) evaluated daraxonrasib, a RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor, versus chemotherapy in 500 patients with second-line metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Investigators reported statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in OS and PFS in both RAS G12-mutant and overall populations, although detailed efficacy figures were not included in the abstract text. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 43.6% of patients receiving daraxonrasib versus 57.5% with chemotherapy. Discontinuation rates due to toxicity were 1.2% versus 11.2%. The findings position daraxonrasib as a potentially important new therapeutic option in previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer.
→ Abstract LBA5: Daraxonrasib, a RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor vs chemotherapy in previously treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC): Primary and final analysis from the phase 3 RASolute 302 study [/gated]
This content has been developed independently by Touch Medical Media for touchONCOLOGY. Views expressed are the speaker’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Touch Medical Media. This article was created by the touchXXX team utilizing AI as an editorial tool (ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat.) The content was developed and edited by human editors. No funding was received in the publication of this article.
Cite: ASCO 2026 Plenary late-breaking abstracts: Key takeaways. touchONCOLOGY. 3 June 2026.
Editor: Sophie Nickelson, Editorial Director.
