The Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is one of the most influential global events in oncology, bringing together leading experts, researchers, and healthcare professionals to present the latest advances in cancer research and treatment. This year’s ASCO meeting highlighted groundbreaking clinical trials, innovative therapeutic approaches, and emerging strategies aimed at improving patient outcomes across multiple cancer types.
We followed the latest updates, discussions, and insights shared by attendees and presenters throughout the meeting and curated 22 Not To Miss posts from Day 1 of ASCO 2026.
“Just arrived at the 2026 ASCO meeting in Chicago. It was great to reconnect with friends at the front entrance, including Carlos Callejos, past-President of SLACOM and Counselor of ISOPT, and Eduardo Cazap MD, President of SLACOM and Vice-President of ISOPT. I also had the pleasure of meeting Piotr Rutkowski, President of the Polish Oncology Society, another ISOPT Counselor.
This year’s ASCO features fabulous scientific sessions and serves as an excellent networking opportunity, bringing together colleagues from around the globe for the largest global oncology meeting in the world!
Cong to the hard working ASCO executive team led by Clifford Hudis and the dedicated staff.”
“One slide may have just outlined the future of bladder cancer care
Dr. Reimers presents a potential new MIBC paradigm: using cCR + ctDNA + utDNA to decide who truly needs cystectomy… and who may safely avoid it after EV+pembrolizumab. More precision. Less overtreatment. A major shift toward personalized bladder preservation.”
“Day 1 at ASCO26.
I am deeply honored to kick off the meeting by joining the newly announced ASCO Leadership Development Program (LDP) Class of 2026-2027.
Oncology is truly a team science, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow alongside such an exceptional cohort of leaders.
Beyond the sessions, the absolute highlight has been reconnecting in person with the wonderful friends and colleagues who inspire me every day.
Thank you to ASCO for this privilege. Here’s to an amazing week of learning, networking, and uniting to conquer cancer!”
“What a proud full circle moment for me to present the OncoDaily Natera 2026 Yvonne Award for AI in Oncology at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago to Dr. Abhishek D. Garg of KU Leuven in Belgium.
I thank Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan for inviting me to present the award.
Years ago, my dear friend and mentor Dr. Susan Love helped pioneer the use of machine learning in breast cancer screening and detection. To now stand on stage recognizing the next generation of AI driven innovation in oncology felt deeply personal and profoundly hopeful.
I remain forever grateful to Dr. Helen Cooksey for sharing Dr. Love with so many of us, and to Dr. Ana Lilia López Aldrete, Anne Clement of GE HealthCare, and Chad McClennan of Koios Medical for their collaboration, leadership, and friendship along the way.”
“What will ASCO26 tell us about cell therapy for solid tumors? Several platforms are emerging, and melanoma is still leading the way.
Here is my oral-session watchlist:
Clinical Science Symposium: ‘Accelerating Adoptive Cell Therapy in Melanoma: Are We Sold on Cells?’
June 1, 4:30-6:00 PM, Room E451
I will present an overview of four cell therapy platforms. The principle is strong, but limitations remain real. Chairs: Allison Betof and Ravi Amaravadi.
Can TIL therapy become more precise?
Abstract 2505: Precision TIL basket trial with TILScore-guided patient selection. n=19, ORR 33%; objective responses even in pancreatic cancer and mesothelioma.
Abstract 2512: TIL in metastatic uveal melanoma. n=33, ORR 22%; responses enriched with tumor-reactive TIL products.
Can next-generation TIL maintain breadth while reducing treatment burden?
Abstract 9507: OBX-115 engineered TIL. IL-2-sparing TIL with regulatable IL-15. n=15 refractory melanoma patients, ORR 67%.
LBA9509: GC101 TIL in advanced melanoma. Randomized phase II data on a low-intensity TIL strategy.
Can we predict who benefits?
Abstract 9511: Procured-tissue determinants of TIL response. TLS and spatial immune-activation signatures associated with outcomes.
Can TIL be delivered safely in the real world?
Abstract 9510: Real-world lifileucel safety.
Can TCR-T make intracellular solid-tumor antigens clinically useful?
Abstract 9508: anzu-cel in melanoma. PRAME-TCR-T. 33 evaluable patients, ORR 56%, median DoR 14.6 months.
Abstract 5509: IMA203CD8 (PRAME TCR-T) in ovarian cancer. Sixteen infused; in the higher-dose cohort, 2 confirmed PRs and 1 unconfirmed PR among 5 patients.
Abstract 11516: PRAME TCR-T in synovial sarcoma. Confirmed ORR 50% (10/20), median DoR 12.7 months.
Abstract 2506: NT-175 in TP53 R175H-mutated solid tumors. Twenty-one infused, ORR 47.6%.
Abstract 2542: KRAS G12V/HLA-A*11:01 TCR-T. A driver-neoantigen TCR-T approach to watch.
Can CAR-T find a solid-tumor niche?
Abstract 2508: Ori-C101 in HCC. Regional delivery plus armored GPC3 CAR-T design. Eighteen evaluable patients, confirmed ORR 50%.
Abstract 8012: LB2102 in SCLC/LCNEC. dnTGFBR2-armored DLL3 CAR-T. Twenty treated; ORR 18%, DCR 76%.
This is my current watchlist and is not exhaustive. Posters intentionally omitted.”
Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation:
“We are proud to officially announce the Conquer Cancer Grants and Awards Class of 2026 this week at ASCO26. Securing this funding is a pivotal career milestone for an early-career investigator, providing the necessary resources to transition innovative hypotheses into practice-changing breakthroughs. We are grateful to our donor community for investing in the next generation of researchers.
View the full list of 2026 Grant and Award recipients.”
“Dr. Caicun Zhou at ASCO26 with results from phase III OptiTROP-Lung05: first-line sacituzumab govitecan (sac-TMT, TROP2 ADC) + pembro vs pembro for PD-L1+ NSCLC (n=413).
Sac-TMT superior with PFS NR vs 6.6m (HR 0.38) with benefit across subgroups.
ASCO26 Sac-TMT + pembro improves PFS with PD-L1 low (HR 0.28) but standard here is pembro + chemo. In PD-L1 high, adding sac-TMT improves PFS HR 0.28 – and benefit seen in non-squamous and squamous. OS trend (HR 0.55) with RR 70% vs 42%. Would be good to compare to INSIGNA.
ASCO26 Adding sac-TMT to pembro does increase toxicity but did not lead to more discontinuation of pembrolizumab (5% both arms). Of note, stomatitis in 40% vs 2% and pneumonitis 12.5% vs 7.4%.
OS is the key endpoint here. Adding an active drug can push RR and improve PFS at the cost of toxicity but OS benefit important to change SOC.
And is ADC + pembro better than chemo + pembro? Impressive PFS benefit here but does not change practice just yet.”
“New IMS/IMWG NGS-based risk criteria from the PERSEUS study showed daratumumab benefit across both high- and standard-risk multiple myeloma patients, supporting broader efficacy regardless of risk status.
This is a great reassurance to see DaraVRD combo continues to be deliver results no matter how you slice and dice things !
This is an important and simple message for all folks, who might feel overwhelmed with all the various combos in MM, use a CD38-based quad combination in Myeloma, KISS!”
“Honored to have served as a co-investigator on the phase 3 SUCCESSOR-2 trial, presented as a Late-Breaking Abstract at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting by Dr. Richardson and now in press at The Lancet.
SUCCESSOR-2 demonstrated that mezigdomide, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone (MeziKd) significantly improved outcomes compared with carfilzomib and dexamethasone in heavily pretreated RRMM patients.
I am grateful to the entire study team, my research staff, coordinators, and collaborators whose hard work made this trial possible.
Most importantly, thank you to the patients and families at the University of South Alabama who participated in this study.”
“Day 1 of ASCO 2026.
EGFR EXON20: New frontline EGFR exon 20 insertion data with encouraging efficacy signals in this historically difficult-to-treat population.
CROWN: The 7-year update confirmed the durability of lorlatinib in ALK+ NSCLC, with mPFS still not reached and sustained long-term disease control.”
“This is what happens when you find the right target… and then build the right drug.
At 7 years of follow-up in CROWN, median PFS with lorlatinib remains not reached. More than half of patients remain progression-free at 7 years (55%), compared with just 3%.
HR for progression or death: 0.19
Think about that for a moment.
Seven years after starting therapy, only 7 new PFS events occurred between years 5 and 7 in the lorlatinib arm.
As a GI oncologist, I can only look at data like this and wish we had more common, actionable targets with therapies this effective. We are making progress with HER2, FGFR2, IDH1, BRAF, RAS, NTRK, CLDN18.2 and others, but results like CROWN remind us just how transformative precision oncology can be when the biology and the drug align.
The future of oncology is not treating all cancers the same. It is finding the right target, in the right patient, at the right time.”
“The 2026 Yvonne Awards event will included two special awards for ‘Lifetime Achievement‘ in oncology to Drs. Charles Balch and Eduardo Cazap (impact in Latin America).”
“I dream of these kind of results for all subtypes of MBC.”
“One of the most important take away from EV302 follow-up – 83.6% of pts with a complete radiographic response are alive at 42 months in follow-up.
For these patients we should advocate for surveillance cystoscopies for patients with in tact bladders +/- CNS imaging annually.”
“Sun-vozertinib rose over the frontline horizon today showing improved PFS over doublet chenotherapy for pts w advanced EGFR exon 20insertion mutation positive pts and w an oral option could be a fair 1st line option along w PAPILLON.
But noting a somewhat mediocre PFS of slightly >10m, notable adverse event profile (40%+ dose reductions) and unclear CNS activity, the therapeutic window for exon20 ins+ pts remains narrow- the window for better drugs remains wide.”
“Great to catch up with an amazing friend and colleague Paolo Tarantino pre ASCO 2026 talking shop on the latest in ADC drug development, trips to Rome/Venice/Naples and much much more.
Prepping my ADC talk for the Clinical Science symposium and realizing almost every other slide is one of his figures from his papers.
Nobody does ADC target visuals with more clarity and elegance.”
“How many of you on ADCs have had symptoms? Apparently up to 50% of people on ADCs get these tiny cysts on their corneas.
A non-pharm way to decrease may be ice packs on eyes during infusion (missed that slide).”
“I enter the JCO Central Lounge at ASCO26 and the first thing I see is print edition of JCOOP-ASCO with ‘my article on the cover page! If you want to read the article, here is the link: Cost of Convenience in Cancer Care.”
“There is really no greater honor than being invited to be faculty at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
If you missed our session, I hope you’ll consider checking out our education book chapter that correlates, available here.”
“Thank you so much, OncoDaily, for this incredible event and for this tremendous honor.
When I created Oncology101.org, I never imagined it would lead to a moment like this. I started it for my patients at SRH to help make cancer treatment, medical terminology, and clinical trials more understandable and accessible, and to empower patients and their families to better navigate their cancer journey.
To be recognized by OncoDaily with the Yvonne Award 2026 for this work and for my contributions to the community is truly humbling. Words cannot fully capture how grateful I am.
Being here with my best friends – my mentor, Jasmine Kamboj, MD, FASCO, who believed in me, and Ruiling Yuan, MD, who has always supported me – makes this evening even more special.
And being surrounded by so many extraordinary people from around the world gives me tremendous hope. Or, as my colleagues would probably say, not just hope, but confidence in the future of oncology and in what we can accomplish together for our patients.
I am deeply thankful for this award, for the friendships and mentorships that have shaped my journey, and most of all for the patients who inspire this work every single day.”
“Sacituzumab tirumutecan +pembro 65% risk of PD vs pembro alone in PDL1>1% mNSCLC in interim analys including Sq!!
Crowded space of ADC antiTROP2 in 1st line combined with IO Geographical representation of the trial (only in China) may limit regulatory approval by FDA?”
“The 2026 Yvonne Award in AI in Oncology by ZS goes to Abhishek D. Garg.”
