W. Lybaert MD

Highlights in head and neck cancer

SUMMARY

The ESMO Congress was held from 20 until 24^th October 2023 in a live and virtual format. During this Congress, the selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib in comparison with cabozantinib or vandetanib settled a new standard-of-care in the first-line treatment of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer. A meta-analysis of the use of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies refined the place of cetuximab in locally advanced (LA) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Pembrolizumab seems more efficacious and less immunosuppressive in an adjuvant compared to concomitant setting in LA HNSCC. Detection of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) seems feasible before and after curative-intent treatment for LA HNSCC and is strongly correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). In this report, the most important headlines will be discussed, with comments on the clinical relevance of the different studies.

(Belg J Med Oncol 2023;17(8):286–91)

Highlights in head and neck cancer

SUMMARY

The ASCO Annual Meeting was held from 2–6 June 2023 in hybrid (live and virtual) format. During this meeting, neoadjuvant immunotherapy strategies are further entering the field of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Immunotherapy + chemotherapy gains an overall survival (OS) benefit in first-line recurrent/metastatic (R/M) NPC. Promising chemotherapy-free regimens are at the horizon in first- and second-line treatment of R/M HNSCC, though more studies in larger patient populations are needed. Treating salivary gland tumours with prostate cancer products was not successful in two studies shown during the meeting.

In this report, the most important headlines will be discussed, with comments on the clinical relevance of the different studies.

(Belg J Med Oncol 2023;17(5):157–68)

Highlights from the European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society congress

SUMMARY

The 2023 edition of the European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society (ENETS) congress was held in Vienna between 22^nd and 24^th March. This article aims to provide an overview of the most remarkable findings and insights presented during this congress.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2023;17(4):139–49)

Highlights of the ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium 2023

SUMMARY

This year’s conference was organised in San Francisco from 19 until 21 January 2023, again as a hybrid event. It was an excellent meeting, not with the immune checkpoint inhibitors in gastroesophageal cancer in first position this time, like last year, but with two new promising targeted therapies in that tumour type: zolbetuximab and regorafenib. Immunotherapy is also pushing more in the neoadjuvant setting of MSI-high local/locally advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction tumours. NALIRIFOX is a new chemotherapy scheme that beats gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer, while the addition of nab-paclitaxel to cisplatin + gemcitabine in first-line advanced biliary tract cancer brings no advantage. Finally, yet importantly, trifluridine/tipiracil + bevacizumab outperforms trifluridine/tipiracil alone in later-line metastatic colorectal cancer. The combination of botensilimab + balstilimab is also very promising in this more refractory disease setting.

In this report, the most important headlines will be discussed, with comments on the clinical relevance of the different studies.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2023;17(3):91–9)

Highlights in head and neck cancer

The ESMO Congress 2022 was held from 9 to 13 September 2022 in a hybrid format. During this congress, more immunotherapy data were shown in the neoadjuvant setting of head and neck cancer, concomitantly with radiotherapy and updates in first- and second-line recurrent/metastatic disease. Also, this treatment modality is intruding into the field of thyroid cancer. In this report, the most important headlines will be discussed, with comments on the clinical relevance of the different studies.

(Belg J Med Oncol 2022;16(8):404–11)

Highlights of the European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society Congress

SUMMARY

The first World NET Forum brought together leading scientists in the neuroendocrine tumour (NET) field to present their cutting-edge research to inspire other scientists and clinicians. This meeting focused mainly on models in NET research, NET tumour biology, as well as therapeutic and diagnostic advances. This article discusses some of the most relevant and promising studies.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2022;16(6):310–22)

Highlights in head and neck cancer

SUMMARY

The ASCO Annual Meeting was held from 3–7 June 2022 in a live and virtual format. During this Meeting, de-escalation and intensifying strategies were shown in different stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). More data were presented regarding radiosensitising options during adjuvant/definitive radiotherapy. The position of immunotherapy in relation to radiotherapy remains a big question anno 2022. New first-line recurrent/metastatic treatment options of combining immunotherapy and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor are on the horizon, and also the liquid biopsy technology is of high interest in the field of HNSCC. Supportive care of severe oral mucositis was addressed with a new product. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are looking for their exact place in salivary gland tumours. In this report, the most important headlines will be discussed, with comments on the clinical relevance of the different studies.

(Belg J Med Oncol 2022;16(5):236–45)