The world’s largest cancer conference this year showcased groundbreaking research that could reshape treatment for several major cancers, from pancreatic to breast and lung, and offered new hope for patients with previously hard-to-treat tumours.
The 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, held from 29 May to 2 June at McCormick Place in Chicago, drew 40,000 health professionals and featured more than 200 sessions and 2,700 poster presentations under the theme “The Science and Practice of Translation: Improving Cancer Outcomes Worldwide”. With both in-person and virtual attendance options, the gathering brought together doctors, scientists, researchers, advocates and thought leaders. The opening session included the Presidential Address, an address from the director of the National Cancer Institute, and the David Karnofsky Science of Oncology Award Lecture.
Here are the five biggest takeaways from the meeting.
1. “Invisibility cloaks” stripped away to boost immunotherapy
A novel experimental tablet, GRWD5769, has shown early promise in making tumours that were previously invisible to the immune system suddenly vulnerable to attack. The drug works by removing what researchers describe as “invisibility cloaks” from cancer cells, allowing the immune system to recognise and target them.
In a trial involving patients with cervical, bladder, liver, bowel, lung or head and neck cancers, GRWD5769 was combined with the immunotherapy drug cemiplimab. Tumour shrinkage occurred in 26 out of 83 patients, and of those, 15 experienced a reduction of at least 30%. Professor Fiona Thistlethwaite, the trial’s principal investigator, described the results as “very impressive” for a tablet-form drug, noting its new mechanism of action that enhances the effectiveness of existing immunotherapy.
2. Two-thirds of early breast cancer patients may safely skip chemotherapy
The OPTIMA phase 3 trial presented findings that could spare thousands of women with high-risk, early-stage breast cancer the toxic side effects of chemotherapy. The trial focused on patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer and used the Prosigna 50-gene expression assay to identify those with a low risk of recurrence, defined as a recurrence-of-risk (ROR) score of 60 or below.
For these low-risk patients, treatment with endocrine therapy alone achieved a five-year recurrence-free survival rate of 93.6%, compared with 94.8% for those who received chemotherapy followed by endocrine therapy. The difference was marginal, indicating that chemotherapy prevents at most two recurrences for every 100 patients in this group. Crucially, the trial included patients with up to nine involved lymph nodes and stage 3A tumours, expanding the use of genomic assays beyond traditional criteria. It also provided data supporting the use of gene tests in premenopausal women aged 40 and older when combined with ovarian function suppression.
3. “Game-changing” pancreatic cancer pill nearly doubles survival
A once-daily oral pill, daraxonrasib, produced what researchers called an “unprecedented” breakthrough in pancreatic cancer, a disease that has long defied effective treatment. The RASolute 302 trial tested daraxonrasib in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and found that the drug reduced the risk of death by 60% compared with standard chemotherapy. Median overall survival nearly doubled, from 6.7 months with chemotherapy to 13.2 months with daraxonrasib.
The results drew a standing ovation at the conference. Daraxonrasib works by blocking mutations in the KRAS gene, which drive more than 90% of pancreatic cancers and have historically been considered “undruggable”. Importantly, the drug produced fewer severe side effects than chemotherapy and delayed deterioration in pain and quality of life. An expanded access programme for daraxonrasib was authorised as of 1 May 2026.
4. Targeted drug slashes lung cancer recurrence risk by 83%
For patients with a specific genetic subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a targeted therapy taken after surgery or radiation dramatically cut the chance of the disease returning. The phase 3 LIBRETTO-432 trial evaluated adjuvant selpercatinib in patients with resected RET fusion–positive NSCLC. Results showed that selpercatinib reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 83% compared with placebo, offering a powerful new option for this patient group.
5. Bladder cancer treated without surgery in landmark immunotherapy trial
A phase 2 trial called RAD-IO indicated that immunotherapy may enable some patients with bladder cancer to avoid surgery entirely. The study tested the immunotherapy drug durvalumab alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy. More than 80% of patients showed no signs of cancer a year after treatment, raising the possibility that the bladder can be preserved while still achieving excellent outcomes. The approach could mark a significant shift in how this cancer is managed.
Beyond these five highlights, other research presented at ASCO covered advances in prostate cancer, with the PROTEUS trial showing that adding perioperative apalutamide to androgen deprivation therapy improved near-complete pathologic response in high-risk localised disease; the bispecific antibody ivonescimab, which blocks both PD-1 and VEGF, showing overall survival benefit for first-line squamous NSCLC; and early observational data suggesting that GLP-1 receptor agonists may lower rates of metastatic progression in certain obesity-related cancers. Lifestyle interventions also featured, with studies indicating that yoga can reduce distress, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia in cancer survivors, and that a Mediterranean diet, walking and vitamin D supplementation are associated with lower recurrence rates in HR-positive breast cancer.