Dana-Farber Researchers to Present Two Plenary Studies and Additional Late-Breaking Cancer Research at 2026 ASCO

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers will present findings at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) from several studies with compelling and potentially practice-changing results spanning multiple cancer types, including pancreatic, prostate, breast, and multiple myeloma.

Investigators will also present additional clinical trial results that support future research into new strategies for the treatment of sarcoma, brain, prostate, and breast cancers.

The research teams will present their findings at ASCO in Chicago from May 29 to June 2, 2026. ASCO is the world's largest clinical cancer research meeting, attracting more than 40,000 global oncology professionals.

More than 75 studies led by Dana-Farber–affiliated researchers will be presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

Access a full list of Dana-Farber Oral Presentations at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Access a full list of Dana-Farber Poster Discussions at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting.

ASCO Plenary Program

PROTEUS: Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, chair of the Executive Committee for Clinical Research at Dana-Farber, presents LBA1, “Final analysis of PROTEUS, a phase 3 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of perioperative (neoadjuvant and adjuvant) apalutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) versus ADT with radical prostatectomy in men with high-risk localized prostate cancer,” in the Plenary Session on Sunday, May 31, 2026; 2:00-5:00 p.m. ET.

RASolute302: Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, director of the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber, presents LBA5, “Daraxonrasib, a RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor, vs. chemotherapy in previously treated patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC): Primary analysis from the phase 3 RASolute 302 study,” in the Plenary Session on Sunday, May 31, 2026; 2:00-5:00 p.m. ET.

ASCO Late-Breaking Abstracts

SUCCESSOR 2: Paul Richardson, MD, director of clinical research for the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center at Dana-Farber, presents LBA7506, “Mezigdomide, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone vs carfilzomib and dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: Results from the phase 3 SUCCESSOR 2 trial,” in the Oral Abstract Session - Hematologic Malignancies; Plasma Cell Dyscrasia, on Friday, May 29, 2026, 5:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. CT.

ASCENT-04: Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Breast Oncology at Dana-Farber, is senior author of LBA1000, “Progression-free survival after next line of treatment and subsequent therapies in the ASCENT-04 study of participants with previously untreated PD-L1+ metastatic triple-negative breast cancer treated with sacituzumab govitecan plus pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy plus pembro,” which will be presented in the Oral Abstract Session - Breast Cancer: Metastatic, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10:45 am ET/9:45 a.m. CT. Tolaney presents additional data from ASCENT-04 in abstract 1013, “ASCENT-04: Analysis of efficacy by biomarker subgroups with Sacituzumab govitecan + pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy + pembro in participants with previously untreated PD-L1+ metastatic triple-negative breast cancer,” during the Rapid Oral Abstract Session – Breast Cancer: Metastatic, on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT.

Practice-Informing Research Details New Treatment Strategies and Role of Lifestyle Factors

Phase 3 PEAK study could usher in new second-line therapy for GIST

Andrew Wagner, MD, PhD, presents findings from the phase 3 PEAK study for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) showing that combination therapy with bezuclastinib plus sunitinib – both KIT inhibitors that work against different KIT mutations – outperformed sunitinib alone.

GISTs are rare cancers that can arise anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Most are driven by mutations that activate the KIT protein. Evidence supporting the use of KIT inhibitors such as first-line imatinib and second-line sunitinib to treat advanced GIST emerged from Dana-Farber research. While KIT inhibitors have improved outcomes, tumors still develop resistance, typically by developing additional KIT mutations. Bezuclastinib inhibits common primary and secondary resistance mutations in advanced KIT-mutant GIST. Previous Dana-Farber research showed it is safe to combine bezuclastinib with sunitinib.

In the study, 413 patients with advanced GIST who had received prior therapy with imatinib were randomized to either bezuclastinib plus sunitinib or sunitinib alone. The combination reduced the risk of progression or death by 50 percent. The overall response rate also improved from 26 percent with monotherapy to 46 percent with the combination. The combination was also well tolerated by patients.

“These are dramatic results that support the biologic rationale that more complete inhibition of the spectra of KIT mutations in a given patient can provide better and more durable outcomes than using a single drug,” said Wagner, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and senior physician in sarcoma at Dana-Farber. “If this combination is ultimately approved, it will become the new standard of care, replacing single-agent sunitinib, which has been the standard for about 20 years.

• Study Title: Primary results of the phase 3 study of bezuclastinib + sunitinib monotherapy in advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST)
• Oral Abstract Number: 11500
• Session: Oral Abstract Session – Sarcoma; May 30, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. CT
• Presenting Author: Andrew Wagner, MD, PhD

Personalized vaccine boosts immune activity against brain cancer

David Reardon, MD, director of the Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber, presents findings from a phase 1 clinical trial showing that patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma who were treated with a personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine (NeoVax) plus pembrolizumab achieved vaccine-stimulated anti-tumor activity that was still evident in some patients after one year and extended survival compared to historical observations of survival for similar patients. The team, co-led by Catherine Wu, MD, chief of the Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapies at Dana-Farber, observed these results across many patients.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive and fatal form of adult brain cancer. In a previous study, Reardon and Wu showed that the vaccine generated measurable tumor-specific immune responses. Building on that work, this study excluded the use of dexamethasone, an immune suppressant, and added an immune checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab, to enhance anti-tumor activity of the vaccine. Three of the four cohorts of patients had MGMT-unmethylated tumors, which are not sensitive to chemotherapy, and received pembrolizumab at different timepoints in the vaccine administration schedule. The fourth cohort had MGMT-methylated tumors and received pembrolizumab, the vaccine, and chemotherapy.

Of 39 enrolled patients, 37 have initiated the NeoVax regimen to date. Median overall survival was 36.9 months for MGMT-methylated patients and 19.0 months for MGMT-unmethylated patients, compared to the 25.3 and 16.7 months historically observed with standard of care. T-cell responses measured through analyses of blood from vaccinated patients were evident and comparable across all cohorts of patients, including the ten patients who received chemotherapy, suggesting that this potentially immune-weakening therapy was not detrimental.

This study also confirmed that vaccine-specific T cells had migrated into the brain and tumors following vaccination. The timing of pembrolizumab administration did not appear to affect the stimulation of an immune response, but starting pembrolizumab before NeoVax priming may result in longer overall survival.

“The median survival for MGMT-methylated patients is remarkable compared to what we typically observe in glioblastoma. This is encouraging but has to be very cautiously interpreted as this study was not a direct comparison,” said Reardon. “We've got a lot of challenges to overcome for immunotherapy to have a meaningful effect in brain cancer, but this vaccine-based approach to immunotherapy treatments does provide some hope that immunotherapy can have an impact in this disease.”

• Study Title: A personalized neoantigen vaccine to reprogram the immune landscape of glioblastoma
• Oral Abstract Number: 2006
• Session: Oral Abstract Session – Central Nervous System Tumors; May 30, 2026; 5:36 p.m. ET/4:36 p.m. CT
• Presenting Author: David A. Reardon, MD

Cognitive effects of advanced prostate cancer treatments

In the first randomized comparison of cognitive effects on American patients receiving enzalutamide or darolutamide for advanced prostate cancer, Alicia Morgans, MD, MPH, director of the Adult Survivorship Program at Dana-Farber, presents data that shows a measurable difference in the amount of cognitive change between the drugs. In a study of 111 participants, those taking darolutamide had less decline in thinking and memory by computer-based cognitive function testing over a 24-week period of observation than those taking enzalutamide. “Both drugs appear to work similarly in terms of prostate cancer control,” said Morgans, “but knowing that there can be differences in cognitive effects between these drugs may affect a clinician’s choice for treatment if both options are available.”

• Study Title: Cognitive effects of darolutamide vs enzalutamide – results of ARACOG (AFT-47) a randomized clinical trial from the alliance for clinical trials in oncology
• Oral Abstract Number: 5005
• Session: Oral Abstract Session – Genitourinary Cancer: Prostate, Testicular, and Penile; May 30, 2026, 5:24 p.m. ET/4:24 p.m. CT
• Presenting Author: Alicia Morgans, MD, MPH

Breast cancer weight loss intervention improves physical function in large phase 3 study

Weight loss intervention improved physical function in people who have both obesity and breast cancer, and helped them feel better, both physically and emotionally, according to data to be presented by Jennifer Ligibel, MD, director of the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at Dana-Farber. The phase 3 Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) trial focused on caloric restriction and increased physical activity and enrolled 3,180 women with stage II-III breast cancer and a BMI of at least 27kg/m² from more than 600 sites across the United States and Canada. Each participant randomized to the weight loss intervention was assigned a coach who, through telephone calls, focused on behavioral strategies to help patients set diet and exercise goals, overcome barriers, and learn how to recognize and overcome “slips.” “This study suggests that a structured weight loss program has tangible benefits for breast cancer survivors, helping them to feel better and function better,” said Ligibel. “We hope in the future, we will also be able to show that these benefits translate into better breast cancer outcomes, with lower rates of breast cancer recurrence and improved survival.”

• Study Title: Effect of a weight loss intervention on quality of life and symptoms in women with breast cancer: Results from the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial
• Oral Abstract Number: 12010
• Session: Rapid Oral Abstract Session – Symptom Science and Palliative Care; May 31, 2026, 9:06 a.m. ET/8:06 a.m. CT
• Presenting Author: Jennifer Ligibel, MD