Lung Cancer

Integrating EGFR-directed strategies into perioperative and adjuvant care for early-stage NSCLC.

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.

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.

In this activity, watch leading experts discuss the evidenced-based management of AEs, and the importance of patient communication and shared decision-making in this process.

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.

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.