Amol Akhade, Senior Consultant at Fortis Hospitals Mumbai, shared key data highlights and clinical takeaways from major late-breaking abstracts presented at ESMO 2026.
“INTErpath-001 (LBA1) – as data is released by ESMO
- 24-month RFS: 82.2% vs 70.0%, HR 0.58 (95% CI 0.45–0.75); P<0.001
- 24-month DMFS: 88.5% vs 80.2%, HR 0.62 (95% CI 0.45–0.85); P=0.002
- Grade ≥3 adverse events: 23.6% vs 20.3%.
The trial randomized 1,137 patients with resected stage IIB–IV melanoma. Both arms received pembrolizumab; the experimental arm added an individualized mRNA neoantigen therapy.
The key question now: will better recurrence control translate into an overall survival benefit? Looking forward to full dataset on day 2.
The benifit is same as if you give neo adjuvant pembrolizumab? – cross trial comparisons. Will this hold true if Pembrolizumab is given neoadjuvant in control arm ? We don’t know.
NATALEE at 6 years
Ribociclib + NSAI vs NSAI alone in HR+/HER2− early breast cancer:
- 6-year OS: 91.86% vs 89.73%
- OS HR 0.809 (95% CI 0.661–0.989); nominal 1-sided P=0.019
- Absolute OS benefit: 2.1%
- 6-year iDFS: 83.23% vs 77.92%
- iDFS HR 0.741 (95% CI 0.646–0.849)
- Absolute iDFS benefit: 5.3% Is OS significant?
Looking forward to full data.
TALENT Trial (LBA23)
Disappointing results for neoadjuvant T-DXd in HR+/HER2-low early breast cancer?
- T-DXd alone: pCR/near-pCR 16%
- T-DXd + anastrozole: 17%
- T-DXd → TC chemotherapy: 17%
Despite ORR ~65–67%, pCR rates remained low. Adding endocrine therapy or sequential chemotherapy did not meaningfully improve response. Looking forward towards full dataset.
PANKU-Breast01 (LBA50)
Impressive phase III results for izalontamab brengitecan (iza-bren), a bispecific EGFR/HER3 ADC, in previously treated MBC HR +ve Her2 -ve Iza-bren vs physician’s choice chemotherapy:
- Median PFS: 8.18 vs 4.01 months
- HR 0.41 (95% CI 0.33–0.53; p<0.0001)
- ORR: 40.5% vs 20.2%
- Median DoR: 6.93 vs 4.21 months
- ILD: 1.1% (all grade 1–2)
- OS: Immature
A remarkable 59% reduction in the hazard of progression or death, with manageable toxicity. Another ADC enters the increasingly crowded HR+/HER2− breast cancer landscape.
G-HOPE-001 (LBA77)
Impressive phase III results for arcotatug tavat ecan (IBI343), a CLDN18.2-targeted ADC, in heavily pretreated advanced gastric/GEJ cancer. IBI343 vs physician’s choice chemotherapy (N=408)
- mPFS: 5.5 vs 2.9 months (HR 0.47; p<0.0001)
- mOS: 9.9 vs 7.4 months (HR 0.63; immature)
- ORR: 23.6% vs 5.3%
- Grade ≥3 AEs: 45.8% vs 57.9%
- ILD: 0%.
SANO Trial (LBA78): 5-Year Result
Active surveillance vs surgery (N=309)
- 5-year OS: 50% vs 54% (HR 1.17; 95% CI 0.77–1.77)
- DFS: HR 1.39 (95% CI 0.94–2.06)
- 5-year distant metastases: 46% vs 29% (p<0.01)
- 43% in the surveillance arm were spared a non-beneficial oesophagectomy.
An important organ-preservation strategy, but the higher distant metastasis rate is concerning. Would you recommend active surveillance over surgery for a patient achieving complete clinical response?
RASolute 302 (LBA82)
Phase III: Daraxonrasib (RAS-ON inhibitor) vs chemotherapy in previously treated mPDAC (N=500).
- Median OS: 13.2 vs 6.7 months (HR 0.40)
- Median PFS: 7.2 vs 3.6 months (HR 0.49)
OS benefit by RAS mutation:
- G12D: HR 0.49
- G12V: HR 0.32
- G12R: HR 0.61
- Q61: HR 0.37
- No RAS mutation identified: HR 0.43
A remarkable 60% reduction in the hazard of death overall, with consistent directional benefit across RAS subgroups.
Presidential LBA | VOLGA Phase III
Perioperative Durvalumab + Enfortumab Vedotin (EV) in cisplatin-ineligible/refusing patients: EV + Durva vs Control
- 2-year EFS: 64% vs 45% (HR 0.51; p<0.0001)
- 2-year OS: 78% vs 69% (HR 0.58; p=0.0027)
- pCR: 45% vs 10%
Adding tremelimumab improved EFS (HR 0.61) but no significant OS benefit yet, with higher grade 3/4 toxicity (42% vs 30%). Can this stop the need of post op EV? Probably yes. New SOC. Looking forward the full datasets.
DeLLphi-305
Phase III (n=563): Tarlatamab + Durvalumab vs Durvalumab as 1L maintenance after chemo-IO. Key results:
- Median OS: 21.1 vs 12.7 months (HR 0.42)
- 12-month OS: 79.4% vs 53.3%
- Median PFS: 7.4 vs 1.9 months (HR 0.34)
- ORR: 26.4% vs 4.1%
Grade ≥3 AEs: 46.8% vs 40.6%; CRS 49.6% (mostly low grade). 58% reduction in risk of death! Could this redefine first-line maintenance in ES-SCLC? Probably yes. Looking forward towards full data set.
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Arndt Vogel: Key Trial Results From ESMO 2026
