ESMO Asia Congress 2022

Benefits of immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma are confirmed in Asian subpopulations
New subpopulation analyses from three international phase III trials confirm efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors across geographical areas

Nivolumab plus chemotherapy does not improve PFS in EGFR-mutated NSCLC
CheckMate 722 trial fails to meet its primary endpoint in patients with cancer progressing on one or two prior lines of EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitors

Hepatocellular carcinoma: apatinib after transarterial chemoembolisation prolongs PFS in a Chinese population
Positive results in intermediate and advanced disease come after the failure of global trials investigating the combination of TACE with targeted agents

National cancer registries in Asia – is Big Data the way to go?
Integrated, comprehensive databases may help to close the gap in cancer care between high- and low-/lower-middle-income countries

Serplulimab plus chemotherapy prolongs progression-free survival in PD-L1-positive oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Final overall survival results are now awaited to confirm the place of the combination treatment as a standard approach

New PAGAs on endometrial cancer and metastatic breast cancer presented in Singapore
Differences in cancer population, local expertise, availability of and accessibility to treatments are incorporated into two new Pan-Asian adaptations (PAGA) of the ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines

Test for gut microbiota predicts survival in patients receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor
An easy-to-use method to detect dysbiosis may help guide selection of cancer treatments and microbiota-centred interventions

Tobacco use is still a neglected cancer risk factor in Asia
Tailored strategies based on existing technologies and digital tools are needed to help inform people in geographically difficult-to-reach communities