City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research organizations in the United States, will present several promising cancer treatment advances at the upcoming 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The event, taking place May 30 to June 3 in Chicago, will bring together nearly 45,000 oncology professionals to discuss cutting-edge scientific data and treatment approaches.
The presentations will highlight innovative combination therapies, targeted treatments, and real-world data analyses that could significantly improve cancer care and patient outcomes. Key research focuses on breast, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal cancers.
Safe Readministration of Trastuzumab-Deruxtecan in Breast Cancer Patients
A large multicenter retrospective study provides compelling evidence supporting the safety of readministering trastuzumab-deruxtecan (T-DXd) to metastatic breast cancer patients who experience low-grade interstitial lung disease (ILD).
T-DXd is an antibody-drug conjugate approved for HER2-positive, HER2-low, and HER2-ultra-low advanced breast cancers. While effective, it carries a risk of ILD, which can lead to treatment interruption. Current guidelines recommend permanent discontinuation for grade 2 (symptomatic) or higher ILD, but physicians may readminister T-DXd to patients with asymptomatic grade 1 ILD after imaging findings resolve.
The study analyzed data from 712 metastatic breast cancer patients treated with T-DXd. Approximately 9% experienced ILD, and 47 patients were rechallenged—81% after grade 1 ILD. Among patients with grade 1 ILD, 56% received steroids for a median of 36 days.
"The real-world data shows that patients with metastatic breast cancer who were treated with trastuzumab-deruxtecan experienced prolonged clinical benefit even if it had to be discontinued temporarily due to low-grade interstitial lung disease," said Dr. Hope S. Rugo, City of Hope Women's Cancers Program director and corresponding author of the abstract.
Importantly, patients treated with steroids showed faster radiographic ILD improvement—24 days versus 82 days for those without steroids. After rechallenge, patients remained on T-DXd for a median of 215 days, with only 26% developing recurrent ILD (mostly grade 1) at a median of 211 days from rechallenge.
Genomic Biomarkers Predict Kidney Cancer Treatment Response
About 20% of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients experience disease recurrence after curative kidney cancer surgery. A precision medicine study led by Dr. Sumanta Kumar Pal found that specific genomic biomarkers could identify patients who would benefit from adjuvant atezolizumab, a monoclonal antibody.
The researchers analyzed pretreatment tumor tissue samples from 754 patients in the Phase 3 IMmotion010 trial. While the overall trial showed atezolizumab did not prevent RCC recurrence in the general population, patients with certain biomarkers experienced longer disease-free survival.
"We continue to investigate the genetics of kidney cancer patients to understand how we can use this information to prolong life. This study builds on a biomarker, KIM-1, that can identify RCC patients who benefit from adjuvant atezolizumab by using tumor-based genomic features," explained Dr. Pal.
Patients categorized in cluster 6 (stromal/proliferative) appeared to benefit from atezolizumab. Additionally, those with KIM-1-high biomarkers and more Teff cells (responsible for facilitating immune responses) showed longer disease-free survival when treated with adjuvant atezolizumab.
The researchers performed whole transcriptome sequencing of RCC tumors before atezolizumab treatment and at disease recurrence, revealing genomic evolution patterns that offer insights into why patients relapse. This information could help oncologists provide more personalized care to kidney cancer patients.
Promising Combination Therapy for Advanced Colorectal Cancer
A Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the combination of checkpoint inhibitors Vilastobart (XTX101) and atezolizumab showed promising results in patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have microsatellite stability (MSS)—a condition found in approximately 96% of metastatic colorectal cancer cases.
"This finding is noteworthy because we are seeing a novel combination therapy shrink tumors in a patient population with advanced solid tumors that historically have been nonresponsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors," said Dr. Marwan Fakih, lead author of the abstract.
The trial included 40 patients with MSS colorectal cancer, with about 70% having received three or more prior lines of therapy. Patients previously treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors were excluded.
Remarkably, 27% of patients without liver metastatic disease experienced a partial response, defined as more than 50% shrinkage of target lesions. Those with tumor shrinkage showed a significant decrease in circulating tumor DNA, confirming the clinical efficacy of this combination.
The treatment combination demonstrated a favorable safety profile with a low rate of severe immune-related complications and very few treatment discontinuations. Vilastobart is an investigational checkpoint inhibitor being developed by Xilio Therapeutics, a company licensing City of Hope technology.
Real-World Data Guides Prostate Cancer Treatment Decisions
A study led by Dr. Alan H. Bryce provides valuable insights for treating patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), particularly those at high risk for cardiovascular events.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 68 million seniors who are U.S. Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, focusing on mCRPC patients aged 65 or older who had never received chemotherapy. Patients were stratified into subgroups based on cardiovascular disease history.
The analysis confirmed clinical trial findings that patients treated with abiraterone acetate have a higher risk of hospitalization due to cardiovascular events compared to those treated with enzalutamide. These events included heart attacks, strokes, coronary revascularization, heart failure, irregular heart rhythm, and blood clots.
Additionally, the risk of death was higher with abiraterone acetate than with enzalutamide regardless of cardiovascular disease history.
"Real-world data studies like this one are crucial because they provide a broader, more representative perspective on health and disease compared to data from clinical trials, which usually are conducted in controlled settings," explained Dr. Bryce. "Large data sets allow for deeper understanding of how treatments affect patients in real-life scenarios and includes factors not captured in carefully designed clinical trials."
This research provides valuable guidance for clinicians making treatment decisions for mCRPC patients, especially those with cardiovascular risk factors.
Advancing Cancer Care Through Innovation
City of Hope's presentations at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting highlight the institution's commitment to advancing cancer treatment through innovative approaches, precision medicine, and real-world data analysis. These findings could lead to more personalized and effective cancer treatments, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life for patients worldwide.
The research spans multiple cancer types and treatment modalities, from antibody-drug conjugates and immunotherapies to genomic biomarkers and real-world evidence. Together, these advances represent significant steps forward in the ongoing battle against cancer.
