ESMO to Highlight Immunotherapy Advances, Cancer Detection and Prevention, and the Needs of Caregivers

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The latest data on drug regimens in a variety of cancers will take the stage at ESMO Congress 2023. In addition, the conference schedule is focusing on new technologies and access to treatments. This year, ESMO Congress 2023 will be held both virtually and in person in Madrid, Spain.

The Congress will offer 105 late-breaking abstracts, which will be presented during the 3 Presidential sessions, as well as additional Proffered Paper sessions.

Among the trials being presented are results on the use of immunotherapy in both the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings to treat various cancers. There will also be a session delving into the use of adjuvant or neoadjuvant immunotherapy or both in localized non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with speakers from Hong Kong, Spain, Poland, and Italy. There will be interim results of the CheckMate-77T phase 3 study of neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant nivolumab.

The same session, Presidential 1 held 4:30 pm CEST on Saturday, will include results from LIBRETTO-431, a randomized, open-label phase 3 trial of first-line selparcatinib with or without pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy with or without pembrolizumab. Results from the phase 3 randomized global study PAPILLON evaluating amivantamab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone also will be presented.

In addition, the meeting will present findings from trials on antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) in a range of cancers:

• TROPION-Lung05 and TROPION-Breast01 analyzing datopotamab deruxtecan in previously treated NSCLC and inoperable or metastatic hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer
• HERTHENA-Lung01 evaluating patritumab deruxtecan in patients with previously treated advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC
• Analyses and updated results of trastuzumab deruxtecan across multiple studies evaluating the therapy in HER2 (ERBB2)-mutant metastatic NSCLC and HER2-low unresectable and/or metastatic breast cancer
• TULIP, a phase 3 trial of trastuzumab diocarmazine in pretreated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer
• Results of the TROPiCS-03 basket trial of sacituzumab govitecan as a second-line therapy for extensive stage small cell lung cancer and in patients with relapsed/refractory advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• innovaTV 301, a global, randomized, open-label, phase 3 study of tisotumab vedotin in second- or third-line recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer

Outside of the therapeutic presentations, there will be sessions on access to and affordability of cancer drugs, early detection and prevention, and supportive and palliative care. In addition, there will be multiple presentations on new technologies, including a session on Saturday on big data and artificial intelligence (AI). On Monday there is a session on the use of AI in prognostication.

There is also a focus on caregivers. The first day of the meeting will include a session with speakers from Belgium, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Romania, and Portugal discussing the needs of caregivers both during the patient journey and after end of life. Sunday furthers the discussion with a session on caring for the caregivers.

The entire meeting will round out with 2 Scientific Congress Highlights sessions, reviewing the discussions in topics such as breast cancer, policy and preventive strategies, investigational immunotherapies, head and neck cancer, hematological malignancies, and NSCLC.