ESMO IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY 2023
Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab does not improve outcomes in NSCLC
Certain immunotherapy combinations that are effective in selected solid tumours may not be effective in lung cancer without targetable genetic alterations.
Blocking GDF-15 may be promising to overcome resistance to immunotherapy
A study reports evidence of antitumour activity by combining a GDF-15 neutralising antibody with PD-1 inhibition in cancers that are refractory/relapsed to immune checkpoint inhibitors
How can we overcome resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in NSCLC?
Results from studies presented at the ESMO Congress 2023 (Madrid, 20–24 October) outline different strategies involving indirect immune modulation and direct enhanced tumour cytotoxicity to improve on chemotherapy as the current standard of second-line care after ICI progression
Challenges in cell-based immunotherapies create opportunities for progress
According to the 2023 ESMO Immuno-Oncology Awardee, Steven A. Rosenberg, the keys to progress are identifying the optimal characteristics of antitumour effector lymphocytes, cancer antigen identification and strategies for overcoming resistance mechanisms to enhance immune-cell function
TIL therapy – an opportunity for a few centres?
Regulatory, practical and economic challenges are associated with implementing this personalised treatment on a larger scale, thus currently limiting its availability and accessibility to patients
OTHER NEWS
Adjuvant immunotherapy reduces relapse risk in resected or ablated hepatocellular cancer
Data from the IMbrave050 study show benefits of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in terms of disease recurrence, but long-term data are needed
Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy prolongs survival in pleural mesothelioma
In the IND227 trial, more pronounced benefits of the immunotherapy were observed in patients with non-epithelioid histology and regardless of PD-L1 status
Dostarlimab shows preliminary but durable activity across multiple cancers
Promising data are reported for tumours with dMMR, MSI-H and rare POLE alterations, reinforcing the role of molecular testing for tissue-agnostic treatment
DIGITAL ONCOLOGY
The value of real-world data to inform cancer research and care
Well-designed real-world observational studies are hypothesis-generating and impact therapeutic decisions
Real-world data give insights into toxicities associated with immunotherapy
Novel approaches including the use of a JAK-STAT inhibitor, a nomogram and assessment of eosinophil proportions are presented for improving the management of immune-related adverse events
An ESMO study reveals that poor quality of real-world data from oncology studies is still an issue
Scarcity of prospective data was reported as well as a limited use of real-world evidence as definitive evidence to regulatory approval decisions of targeted therapies in Europe
OPINIONS
Is TMB a good predictive biomarker for immunotherapy?
Aurélien Marabelle
Transitioning liquid biopsies from research to practice in lung cancer
Tony SK Mok
Updated hallmarks of cancer guide treatment development
Douglas Hanahan
Exploiting knowledge of neutrophil protumour and antitumour phenotypes to treat cancer
Ilaria Malanchi
OPINIONS
Is TMB a good predictive biomarker for immunotherapy?
Aurélien Marabelle
Transitioning liquid biopsies from research to practice in lung cancer
Tony SK Mok
Updated hallmarks of cancer guide treatment development
Douglas Hanahan
Exploiting knowledge of neutrophil protumour and antitumour phenotypes to treat cancer
Ilaria Malanchi