Updates in Gastrointestinal Oncology: Key Data From the 2026 ESMO Congress

Experts in gastrointestinal oncology review key data from the ESMO Congress across gastroesophageal, pancreatic and rectal cancers, discussing what each finding means for practice now and where the field is heading. In HER2-positive gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, final analyses of HERIZON-GEA-01 show an overall survival benefit for zanidatamab-based regimens over trastuzumab plus chemotherapy. The panel sees this as support for the triplet with tislelizumab as a first-line option. In pancreatic cancer, subgroup analyses of RASolute 302 reinforce daraxonrasib as a standard of care in previously treated metastatic disease. The panel covers how to interpret the RAS wild-type results and gives practical advice on managing skin toxicity. AMPLIFY-7P did not meet its primary end point but still offers lessons on how well the vaccine triggers an immune response, how well circulating tumor DNA predicts outcomes, and the need for combination strategies after surgery. Finally, AZUR-1 highlights the promise of neoadjuvant dostarlimab for organ preservation in mismatch repair-deficient rectal cancer. It also raises the challenges of standardizing how clinical complete response is defined and how patients are monitored.