Gertjan Rasschaert, Medical Doctor and Consultant specializing in Gastrointestinal Oncology and Gastroenterology at UZ Leuven, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“The question is not only ‘how much’, but also ‘what kind of’ disease remains.
Happy to share our latest Perspective in npj Precision Oncology: From tumor regression grading to interpretable endpoints in neoadjuvant oncology.
As neoadjuvant therapy rapidly expands across tumor types, our efficacy endpoints have not evolved at the same pace. Many studies still rely on conventional tumor regression grading systems that were developed in the era of cytotoxic therapy and only partly capture the biological complexity of treated tissue.
In this Perspective, we argue for a shift toward quantitative and biologically interpretable post-treatment endpoints integrating residual tumor burden, immune contexture, stromal remodelling and spatial organisation.
We also outline a validation pathway to distinguish prognostic biomarkers from true surrogate endpoints, with attention to reproducibility, tumor-specific biology and regulatory translation.
Ultimately, the future of neoadjuvant oncology should not only be defined by how much tumor remains, but by what treated tissue can reveal about the biology of durable clinical benefit.”
Title: From tumor regression grading to interpretable endpoints in neoadjuvant oncology
Authors: Cédric Schraepen, Albert Wolthuis, Wentao Tang, André D’Hoore, Giuseppe Floris, Allyson M. Peddle, Xavier Sagaert, Sara Verbandt, Thomas McKee, Inti Zlobec, Jianmin Xu, Sabine Tejpar, Gertjan Rasschaert
Other articles featuring Gertjan Rasschaert on OncoDaily.