Clinical Updates & Insights

Germline and somatic oncogenic alterations are frequently seen in breast cancer, yet it’s not well understood how their interaction influences tumor evolution and therapy resistance. Researchers now have new insights through a comprehensive integrated clinicogenomic analysis and preclinical investigation led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

A small interfering RNA implant targeting KRAS G12D/G12V mutations has shown a promising trend toward improved overall survival and objective response rate in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer with these mutations, according to results of a multisite, international phase 2 clinical trial led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Thyroid lobectomy alone is an effective and safe treatment option for carefully selected patients with papillary thyroid cancer, according to a retrospective study by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Clinically meaningful secondary cancer occurred in non-small cell lung cancer survivors, both within and beyond the thorax and over a prolonged period, according to a new study by a multidisciplinary team of lung cancer experts at MSK. The findings underscore the importance of risk-adapted, symptom-responsive survivorship care that includes evaluating heritable risk.

The Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Consortium Group is a national, multidisciplinary collaboration of surgical and medical gastrointestinal oncology specialists from top cancer centers. The group recently published a series of updated consensus guidelines for the clinical management of peritoneal metastases related to a variety of gastrointestinal malignancies. In this Q&A with Dr. Michael Foote we discuss discuss the major updates for the management of colorectal cancer and appendiceal cancer peritoneal metastases and how the changes will improve patient outcomes and streamline patient care.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recently published two retrospective studies with practice-changing insights for improving the treatment and surveillance of patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

Updated survival outcomes from the EMBER-3 trial reinforced the clinical benefit of imlunestrant-based regimens as all-oral, chemotherapy-free treatment options for endocrine-pretreated patients with estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Breast medical oncologist Komal Jhaveri, MD, FACP, presented the latest results for the trial at SABCS, and was also the lead and corresponding author of the paper published simultaneously in the Annals of Oncology.

Epcoritamab plus R2 resulted in substantial increases in the objective response rate and progression-free survival compared to R2 alone, the co-primary endpoints of the trial. The triplet combination also outperformed the standard-of-care on the secondary endpoints of complete response rate and duration of response. Lorenzo Falchi, MD, presented the latest results for the study at the American Society of Hematology's 67th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Florida.

A new era in the treatment of MIBC is on the horizon, with the combination of enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab poised to become the new standard of care in the perioperative treatment of cisplatin-ineligible or cisplatin-refusing patients. MSK’s David Aggen, MD, discusses this, and what new treatment approaches physicians and scientists at MSK are now testing.

MSK researchers presented exciting advances in medical oncology for a range of cancer types at the ESMO Congress 2025. Highlights included the latest updates on three phase 1 trials testing innovative treatment approaches for select patients with advanced solid tumors, NSCLC, and pancreatic cancer. MSK researchers also presented new insights about mismatch repair deficient solid tumors that may inform tailoring personalized treatments.