Experts Unpack Crucial Hematologic Oncology Data From ASCO 2026

At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, we saw pivotal data shared across hematologic oncology, with key phase 3 data set to shape changes in standards of care across multiple myeloma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, myelofibrosis, and more.

To put some of the most crucial data into perspective, OncLive asked experts to break down what these findings mean for the future of clinical practice.

Insights were shared by:

• Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, an assistant professor in the Clinical Research Division of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, as well as an assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington in Seattle
• Saad Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, FASCO, chief of Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York
• Sonali M. Smith, MD, holder of the Elwood V. Jensen Professorship of Medicine and chief of the Section of Hematology/Oncology at University of Chicago Medicine in Illinois
• John Mascarenhas, MD, a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, director of the Center of Excellence for Blood Cancers and Myeloid Disorders, and a member of Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center in New York, New York

Watch the video above to see the experts break down the key findings and clinical implications of data from ASCO 2026. For a topline overview of the studies discussed in the video, read on below.

MajesTEC-9: A phase 3 randomized study of teclistamab monotherapy vs investigator’s choice of pomalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone or carfilzomib and dexamethasone (PVd/Kd) in patients (pts) with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) (Abstract 7507)

Treatment with teclistamab-cqyv (Tecvayli) monotherapy led to statistically significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) vs investigator’s choice of pomalidomide (Pomalyst) plus bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone (PVd) or carfilzomib (Kyprolis) plus dexamethasone (Kd) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who had received 1 to 3 prior lines of therapy that included daratumumab (Darzalex) and lenalidomide (Revlimid), according to data from the phase 3 MajesTEC-9 trial (NCT05572515).¹

Data presented at ASCO 2026 showed that patients treated with teclistamab (n = 296) achieved a median PFS that was not reached (NR) vs 8.2 months for patients treated with investigator’s choice of therapy (n = 297; HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.23-0.38; P < .0001). The estimated 18-month PFS rates were 69.8% vs 26.9%, respectively. Teclistamab also reduced the risk of death by 40% compared with standard of care (SOC; HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.83; P = .0020). Although the median OS was NR in both arms, the estimated 18-month OS rates were 79.2% and 68.6% for teclistamab and SOC, respectively.

Mezigdomide, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone (MeziKd) vs carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM): Results from the phase 3 SUCCESSOR-2 trial (Abstract LBA7506)

Treatment with the combination of mezigdomide (CC-92480) and Kd elicited a PFS improvement vs Kd alone in patients with multiple myeloma who had received at least 1 prior line of therapy and were exposed/refractory to an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody and lenalidomide, according to data from the phase 3 SUCCESSOR-2 trial (NCT05552976).²

At a median follow-up of 10.6 months, data showed that patients treated with the mezigdomide combination (n = 288) experienced a median PFS of 18.0 months compared with 8.3 months for those given Kd alone (n = 191; HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.36-0.63; P < .0001). The overall response rate was 80.2% in the mezigdomide arm vs 53.4% for the Kd arm, which translated to improvements in both complete response or better rate (26.7% vs 8.9%, respectively) and very good partial response or better rate (60.1% vs 30.9%, respectively).

frontMIND: Phase 3 study of tafasitamab plus lenalidomide and R-Chop for patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (Abstract LBA7000)

Combination therapy comprising tafasitamab-cxix (Monjuvi), lenalidomide, and R-CHOP (rituximab [Rituxan], cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) yielded a statistically significant PFS benefit compared with R-CHOP alone in patients with newly diagnosed, high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to findings from the phase 3 frontMIND trial (NCT04824092).³

Data showed that at a median follow-up of 35.2 months, the combination (n = 448) produced a 25% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death vs R-CHOP alone (n = 451; HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59-0.96; P = .0194). The 2- and 3-year PFS rates were 71.1% and 67.3%, respectively, in the experimental arm. These respective rates were 62.9% and 60.7% for R-CHOP alone.

Selinexor plus ruxolitinib in JAK inhibitor–naive myelofibrosis: Phase 3 SENTRY trial (Abstract LBA6500)

The combination of selinexor (Xpovio) and ruxolitinib (Jakafi) generated a statistically significant improvement in spleen volume reduction (SVR) by week 24 compared with ruxolitinib plus placebo in patients with JAK inhibitor–naive myelofibrosis, meeting a coprimary end point of the phase 3 SENTRY trial (NCT04562389).⁴ Although meaningful reductions in symptom burden were reported in both arms, statistical significance was not met for this co-primary end point of absolute total symptom score (TSS) from baseline to week 24.

At week 24, an SVR of at least 35% was reported in 49.8% of patients in the selinexor arm (n = 235) vs 28.0% of patients treated in the placebo arm (n = 118; difference, 21.8%; OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.60-4.17; 1-sided P < .0001). At week 24, the change in absolute TSS was –9.9 (95% CI, –11.2 to –8.6) in the selinexor arm vs –10.9 (95% CI, –12.6 to –9.1) in the placebo arm (adjusted mean difference, 0.97; 95% CI, –1.07 to 3.02; 1-sided P = .825).

Additionally, an OS trend favoring the experimental combination was reported (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.19-1.00; nominal 1-sided P = .022) at a median follow-up of 11.6 months for the selinexor arm and 12.6 months for the placebo arm. These data remained immature at the time of this analysis, with an event rate of 4.7% in the experimental arm vs 10.2% in the control arm.

References

1. Mina R, Touzeau C, Hungria V, et al. MajesTEC-9: a phase 3 randomized study of teclistamab monotherapy vs investigator’s choice of pomalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone or carfilzomib and dexamethasone (PVd/Kd) in patients (pts) with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(suppl 16):7507. doi:10.1200/JCO.2026.44.16_suppl.7507
2. Richardson PG, Schjesvold F, Chengcheng F, et al. Mezigdomide, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone (MeziKd) vs carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM): results from the phase 3 SUCCESSOR-2 trial. J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(suppl 17):LBA7506. doi:10.1200/JCO.2026.44.17_suppl.LBA7506
3. Lenz G, Trněný M, Burke JM, et al. frontMIND: phase 3 study of tafasitamab (tafa) plus lenalidomide (len) and R-CHOP for patients (pts) with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(suppl 17):LBA7000. doi:10.1200/JCO.2026.44.17_suppl.LBA7000
4. Mascarenhas J, Ali H, Al-Ali HK, et al. Selinexor plus ruxolitinib in JAK inhibitor–naive myelofibrosis: phase 3 SENTRY trial. J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(suppl 17):LBA6500. doi:10.1200/jco.2026.44.17_suppl.LBA6500