February has already been very busy across regulation, clinical research and community awareness – and we’re only half way through! See below a round-up of the main breakthroughs and what to look out for during the rest of the month.
World Cancer Day 2026 #United by Unique
Every 4th February, World Cancer Day mobilizes the global community to improve education and catalyze life-saving action. Led by the Union for International Cancer Control, the 2025—2027 campaign “United by Unique” enters its second year, shifting focus from raising awareness to powerful advocacy. By placing the person before the patient, the initiative champions people-centered care that tailors treatment to an individual’s specific needs and lived experiences. Behind every diagnosis is a unique story; together, we can influence policy and healthcare systems to ensure compassionate, equitable, and personalized cancer care for everyone, everywhere.
Closer to home, February has marked the close of nominations for touchONCOLOGY Future Leaders 2026. We’d like to thank everyone across the oncology community who took the time to recognize and put forward the rising stars shaping the future of the specialty.
A growing body of research and review articles is already building on existing knowledge and recent developments in 2026. Here are a few we’ve selected:
Regulatory updates
FDA accepts New Drug Application for pimicotinib in tenosynovial giant cell tumour treatment
The FDA has accepted the New Drug Application for pimicotinib, a potent oral CSF-1R inhibitor for treating tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). Supported by the Phase III MANEUVER trial, the therapy demonstrated significant improvements in objective response rates and patient-reported outcomes, including pain reduction. Pimicotinib offers a promising once-daily systemic option for patients facing functional limitations from this aggressive joint disease.
FDA approves pembrolizumab regimens for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
The FDA has approved pembrolizumab + paclitaxel +/- bevacizumab for adults with PD-L1+ platinum-resistant ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma. Based on the Phase III KEYNOTE-B96 trial, the immunotherapy combinations significantly improved survival outcomes, reducing the risk of death by 24% and disease progression by 28%, providing a critical new option for patients with limited treatment alternatives.
SIGMA study expands to phase III trial for IDH1-mutant astrocytoma treatment
In the literature
Pivekimab Sunirine in Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm
The Phase I/II trial of pivekimab sunirine (PVEK), a CD123-targeted antibody-drug conjugate, demonstrated a 75% composite complete response in frontline BPDCN patients, with over 50% successfully bridging to curative stem-cell transplants. Despite lower efficacy in relapsed cases (14%), PVEK’s manageable safety profile and convenient dosing establish it as a potent new frontline option for this aggressive malignancy.
Pemmaraju N, Marconi G, Montesinos P. Pivekimab Sunirine in Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm. J Clin Oncol. 2026:JCO2502083. doi: 10.1200/JCO-25-02083. Online ahead of print.
Long-Term Survivorship After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Hematologic Malignancies
While CAR T-cell therapy has revolutionized survival rates, long-term survivors face unique risks of nonrelapse mortality, specifically from persistent infections and secondary myeloid malignancies. Due to the cumulative toxicity of prior treatments, a structured survivorship roadmap is essential to provide specialized monitoring and comprehensive care beyond initial oncologic remission.
Faramand RG, Xie Z, Jain MD. Long-Term Survivorship After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Hematologic Malignancies. J Clin Oncol. 2026:JCO2502087. doi: 10.1200/JCO-25-02087. Online ahead of print
Neoadjuvant trastuzumab deruxtecan alone or followed by paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab for high-risk HER2-positive early breast cancer (DESTINY-Breast11): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase III trial
The Phase III DESTINY-Breast11 trial confirms that neoadjuvant T-DXd followed by THP significantly outperforms standard anthracycline regimens, achieving a 67.3% pathological complete response rate. Beyond its superior efficacy—reaching 83.1% in HR-negative patients—the regimen dramatically improved safety by reducing cardiotoxicity (1.3% vs. 6.1%), positioning this anthracycline-free sequence as a potential new benchmark for high-risk, HER2-positive early breast cancer.
Harbeck N, Modi S, Pusztai L. Neoadjuvant trastuzumab deruxtecan alone or followed by paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab for high-risk HER2-positive early breast cancer (DESTINY-Breast11): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase III trial. Ann Oncol. 2026;37:166-79. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2025.10.019.Â
International Conferences coming up!Â
- EBMT and EHA European CAR T-cell Meeting (12-14th February, Palma de Mallorca, Spain)
- Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium (19-21st February, California, USA)
- ASCO Genitourinary Cancer Symposium (26-28th February, San Francisco, CA, USA)
- The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) (26-28th February, Copenhagen, Denmark)
Looking for more updates?
- Read our latest journal articles in touchREVIEWS in Oncology & Haematology here
- Find our latest expert insights and news here
Citation: February news and highlights. touchONCOLOGY. 11th February, 2026.
Disclosure: This article was created by the touchONCOLOGY team utilizing AI as an editorial tool (ChatGPT (GPT-4o) [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.
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