A research team from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, in collaboration with City of Hope, has found a promising way to adapt CAR T cell therapy so that it can fight solid tumors. The researchers engineered CAR T cells to produce a fusion of two proteins: interleukin 12 (IL-12) cytokine, which boosts immune activity, and a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocker, an immune checkpoint inhibitor that prevents cancer cells from turning off the immune attack. In mouse models of prostate and ovarian cancer, the modified CAR T cells launched a localized attack, shrinking the tumor without causing toxicity in other parts of the body. The results were just published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. The approach enhanced the ability of T cells to penetrate tumors and made the surrounding environment less hostile. It was also safe, with minimal toxicity elsewhere in the body, making it an attractive therapy to translate to patients.

A genetic test can predict if someone will go on to develop invasive breast cancer after abnormal cells have been found in their breast tissue.

In a retrospective study, the 313-SNP breast cancer polygenic risk score (PRS₃₁₃) blood test could predict future incidents of breast cancer in women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS).

Previously, the primary endpoint results of the NRG-LU005 study assessing the addition of the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab to standard of care concurrent chemoradiation for limited-state small cell lung cancer was reported at the American Society for Radiation Oncology 2024 Annual Meeting. Those results showed that adding atezolizumab did not improve overall survival (OS) for this patient population. At the same time, an exploratory analysis reported longer median OS among patients who received twice-a-day radiation, though RT schedule was not randomized. As a follow up to that study, a patient-reported outcomes (PRO) analysis explored the impact of the NRG-LU005 treatment regimens on quality of life (QOL). The results of this PRO analysis were recently reported as a late-breaking abstract at the ASTRO 2025 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California.

Previously, results from the photon cohort of the NRG-BN001, a signal seeking Phase II randomized trial, indicated that photon radiation dose intensification (75 Gy) did not demonstrate improvement in overall survival (OS) for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). The recent analysis of the proton cohort revealed improved survival for patients receiving proton therapy at 75 Gy. Because this data met the pre-defined survival improvement threshold, they could be used to design and conduct a definitive phase III randomized trial.

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have reported encouraging results from a phase 1B clinical trial showing that the immunotherapy drug avelumab, when combined with whole brain radiotherapy, may provide a safe and effective treatment option for patients with leptomeningeal disease, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat complications of advanced cancer. The findings were published in Neuro-Oncology. 

A groundbreaking new study from the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology aims to test whether digital tools and chatbot technology can help young adult cancer survivors get the genetic counseling they need to better understand future health risks to themselves and family members.