ASCO 2026 Day 2 Highlights
Saturday 30th May
ASCO 2026 Day 2 continued to highlight advances across oncology, with potentially practice-changing data emerging in renal cell carcinoma, early breast cancer, and supportive care. Key highlights included new insights into adjuvant immunotherapy strategies, biomarker-directed treatment approaches, and efforts to optimize quality of life through improved supportive care.
Advancing Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma
Results of RAMPART: A phase 3 trial evaluating durvalumab with or without tremelimumab versus active monitoring in high-risk renal cell carcinoma.
The RAMPART study explored the role of immunotherapy in patients at high risk of recurrence following surgery for renal cell carcinoma, including those with resected metastatic disease.
- Durvalumab plus tremelimumab demonstrated a significant improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) compared to active monitoring
- Durvalumab monotherapy showed a 26% reduction in the risk of recurrence or death (HR 0.74)
- Three-year DFS was 78% with durvalumab vs 72% with active monitoring
- However, statistical significance was not reached for durvalumab monotherapy
These findings suggest that dual checkpoint inhibition may offer greater benefit than monotherapy in this high-risk setting, highlighting the need to refine adjuvant immunotherapy strategies in renal cell carcinoma.
Refining Chemotherapy Use in Early Breast Cancer
Results of the OPTIMA trial: A phase 3 randomized non-inferiority study of test-directed chemotherapy in ER-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer.
The OPTIMA trial evaluated whether a biomarker-driven approach could reduce unnecessary chemotherapy in patients with higher-risk early breast cancer.
- Patients with a low ROR (Risk of Recurrence) score (≤60) were able to avoid chemotherapy without compromising outcomes
- The trial met its non-inferiority endpoint (HR 0.99)
- Five-year recurrence rates were 94.9% vs 93.7%, demonstrating comparable outcomes
- Over 4,400 patients were enrolled, supporting the robustness of the dataset
These results reinforce the role of genomic testing in guiding treatment decisions, enabling more personalized care while reducing overtreatment.
Improving Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology
Results of Abstract 10017: A randomized trial evaluating olanzapine-based antiemetic therapy in children and adolescents receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
This study evaluated a steroid-sparing antiemetic regimen in pediatric patients.
- Olanzapine-based regimens met the threshold for non-inferiority compared to dexamethasone-based therapy
- No significant difference was observed between treatment arms in controlling nausea and vomiting
- The study included 310 patients aged 4–18 years
These findings suggest that dexamethasone-free regimens may be a viable option, offering the potential to reduce steroid-associated toxicity in younger patients.
Day 2 highlights illustrate the continued shift toward personalized, evidence-driven oncology, with a focus on:
- Optimizing treatment intensity through biomarker-driven approaches
- Enhancing adjuvant immunotherapy strategies in early disease settings
- Improving patient outcomes and quality of life through supportive care innovation
Meet Diaceutics at ASCO 2026
Schedule a meeting with our team at ASCO 2026 to discover how we help you unlock the full potential of diagnostic-driven therapies. Operating at the intersection of data, science, and commercial strategy, we address the real-world challenges limiting therapy uptake, helping you identify missed patients, optimize diagnostic pathways, and act at the moments that matter most.
Contact Us to discover more about:
• Our Intelligence Solutions, enabling you to turn diagnostic and healthcare data from our extensive lab ecosystem into decision-ready intelligence, revealing where clinical practice gaps exist, where eligible patients remain undiscovered, and where action can make a difference to therapy uptake.
• Our Engagement Solutions - enabling you to activate timely, targeted engagements to close clinical practice gaps and get more patients on the right therapy. Driven by diagnostic and healthcare data from our extensive lab ecosystem, digital activation targets the HCPs and labs shaping care within 24 hours of a diagnostic event.
References:
RAMPART (LBA4511): ASCO 2026 Abstract - https://www.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/258757
OPTIMA Trial (Abstract 500): ASCO 2026 Abstract https://www.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/258169
Olanzapine Study (Abstract 10017): ASCO 2026 Abstract https://www.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/261746
