CONGRESS NEWS

3^rd Annual International Oncology Leadership Conference

SUMMARY

The annual International Oncology Leadership Conference (IOLC) brings together physicians and administrative professionals from around the world to share best practices and to discuss future trends and challenges affecting the provision of cancer care. Following prior IOLC meetings in London and Milan, the conference in 2019 took place in Antwerp. Chairperson Prof. Didier Verhoeven and the planning committee organised an engaging agenda which was divided into three parts: economy, technology, and patient engagement/leadership. One of the main purposes of this conference is to compare US and European approaches and to learn from each other. Attendees from thirteen countries participated at the IOLC 2019. IOLC is presented by the Association of Cancer Executives and in partnership with Hauck & Associates, Inc. Some interesting points of the meeting are mentioned below.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(2):84–5)

The 13^th Belgian symposium on the integration of molecular biology advances into oncology clinical practice (BSMO/Bordet meeting)

SUMMARY

On the 22^nd and 23^rd of November 2019, the Jules Bordet Institute and the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology (BSMO) hosted the 13^th Belgian symposium on the integration of molecular biology advances into oncology clinical practice. In the course of the symposium, a fine selection of Belgian and international key opinion leaders discussed the clinical impact of molecular biology advances in a plethora of cancer types.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(1):31–41)

Highlights in breast cancer

ABSTRACT

The 2019 edition of the annual ESMO meeting proved to be a grand cru when it comes to breast cancer studies. In early triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the KEYNOTE-522 trial demonstrated a significant improvement of pathological complete response rate with the addition of pembrolizumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, irrespective of PD-L1 status. In addition to this, the prognostic value of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes was confirmed in a pooled analysis of patients with TNBC who did not received adjuvant chemotherapy. In the field of metastatic breast cancer, much attention went to overall survival data that were presented for the CDK4/6-inhibitors ribociclib and abemaciclib in combination with fulvestrant (MONALEESA-3, MONARCH 2). Interesting results of the phase III BROCADE3 trial were presented in which the addition of the PARP inhibitor veliparib to carboplatin and paclitaxel was evaluated in patients with advanced HER2-negative breast cancer and a germline BRCA mutation. Regarding checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic TNBC, a read-out of a phase III trial with pembrolizumab compared to standard chemotherapy in second- and third-line was presented, as well as important translational data on different immunohistochemical PD-L1 assays from IMpassion130. Finally, two oral presentations focused on the use of CDK4/6-inhibitors in different combination regimens in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer (MonarcHER) and in TNBC.

Highlights in respiratory oncology

ESMO 2019 featured the presentation of many interesting studies in the field of lung cancer. Much attention went to non-oncogene driven advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in which PD-(L)1 inhibitors are used in monotherapy, in combination with chemotherapy or in combination with CTLA-4 inhibitors. The results of the FLAURA, ALEX and ASCEND-7 trial demonstrated the most recent advances in oncogene-driven advanced stage NSCLC. Finally, the CASPIAN and IMpower 133 trial were the first studies to demonstrate an overall survival benefit with immunotherapy in the field of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Highlights in digestive oncology

This report will focus on some of the key studies in the field of digestive oncology, presented during the 2019 annual ESMO meeting. During the congress, many studies were presented from early phase I to large phase III trials. Different approaches to activate the immune system against tumours as well as PARP and CDK4/6 inhibitors were once more at the centre of interest for different types of cancer and settings.

Highlights in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

During the 2019 annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) the most recent advances in recurrent/metastatic (R/M) and locoregionally advanced (LA) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma were discussed. In R/M HNSCC the safety and efficacy of monalizumab alone and in combination with cetuximab was assessed and the ELAN trials tried to assess the management of elderly HNSCC patients. In LA HNSCC the efficacy of Debio 1143 in combination with chemoradiotherapy as well as the dominance of cisplatin over cetuximab in association with radiotherapy were studied. In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, results were presented on the benefit of radiotherapy to chemotherapy with cisplatin and fluorouracil. Finally, Bossi et al. demonstrated that in non-endemic countries, patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma have the same survival figures and prognostic factors as patients in endemic areas.

Highlights in urologic cancer

In recent years, innovations in renal, bladder and prostate cancer treatments have been introduced at a rapid pace. Every year, oncological societies had to update treatment guidelines according to new insights and results of large phase III trials. This article focuses on practice changing data from the 2019 ESMO congress in Barcelona, Spain.