ESMO Highlights

Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is a highly effective drug for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced recurrent breast cancer. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Admninistration even though it had only been through a phase II study. It has attracted a great deal of attention among oncologists, and many clinical trials have been conducted. This article reviews reports of […]

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a heterogeneous group of adenocarcinomas that originate from the epithelial lining of the biliary tree and are classified into cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and gallbladder cancer. BTC is an aggressive and rare epithelial malignancy that is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage with few effective therapeutic options.1 CCA is divided into extrahepatic and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, with the extrahepatic […]

Cancers of the anal canal are relatively uncommon, and account for less than 1% of all new cancer diagnoses in the UK.1 However, the incidence of these cancers has increased over the past decade, primarily in females, in which they have more than doubled.1 Squamous cell anal carcinoma (SCAC) is the most common type of anal cancer, with adenocarcinomas, neuroendocrine carcinomas […]

Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the USA, with an estimated 81,180 new cases and 17,100 deaths in 2022.1 Advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC) includes both locally advanced, unresectable and metastatic urothelial cancer. About 5% of all bladder cancer cases present as de novo aUC, while almost 25% of patients present with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). About 50% of these patients progress to aUC even with intent-to-cure locoregional therapy, […]

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer accounts for 15% of all breast cancers.1 This breast cancer subtype was historically associated with poor outcomes; however, the development of HER2-directed therapies has dramatically improved outcomes for patients with both early and advanced HER2+ disease.2 Currently, there are several types of HER2-targeted agents approved for the […]

“If you want something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” So, reputedly, said a Mr Thomas Jefferson, in a different age and in a different place, but the advice remains timeless. The quotation comes to our mind as, at the time of writing, we reflect at the end of the […]

Paediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) most commonly develop in the cerebellum and can be resected safely, with minimal neurological complications and long-term cure achieved following surgery alone.1 However, a large proportion of pLGGs that develop in other parts of the brain remain unresectable and ultimately manifest as a chronic disease.2 The most common location at which unresectable pLGG […]

In recent years, our understanding of the complement system and its role in disease has increased dramatically. With the advent of complement 5 (C5) and C3 inhibitors, our ability to manipulate the complement system has improved the outcomes and quality of life for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria and atypical haemolytic–uraemic syndrome.1–3 More recently, this understanding […]

Bladder cancer (BC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world, accounting for 81,180 estimated new cases and 17,100 deaths in 2022.1 BC is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 65–74 years.1 For patients with disease limited to the bladder, the depth of invasion of the primary tumour is the most important prognostic variable in […]