AACR 2025: key news headlines
Read key news stories from the AACR 2025 Annual Meeting (25–30 April 2025, IL, USA), highlighting the latest advancements and discoveries in cancer research and treatment.
AACR news headlines
First therapeutic advancement in 20 years for patients with head and neck cancer
The results of a Phase III trial presented at AACR by Ravindra Uppaluri (Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, MA, USA), reveal that administering pembrolizumab before and after surgery significantly improves outcomes in head and neck cancer patients. This trial, funded by Merck (NJ, USA), represents the first major treatment advancement for this patient population in over two decades.
Following these results, the FDA is reviewing perioperative pembrolizumab for potential approval in patients with locally advanced HNSCC, meaning that the standard of care for this patient population could soon change.
Natural killers elicit remission in acute myeloid leukemia
In an ongoing Phase I trial, a first-in-class off-the-shelf CAR NK cell therapy has achieved complete remission in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia.
“The deep and durable responses observed in patients for whom we have follow-up data are impressive. We are hopeful this can be a new type of treatment for AML patients where the unmet medical need is extremely high,” commented study presenter Stephen Strickland (Sarah Cannon Research Institute, TN, USA).
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Neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade for dMMR cancers
Preliminary results from a Phase II trial investigating the efficacy of PD-1 blockade with dostarlimab (Jemperli) demonstrated complete tumor clearance and the chance for organ preservation in patients with locally advanced mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) cancers. The data provides a basis for treatment approaches and clinical trials in the neoadjuvant setting.
“These findings are very important for patients with early-stage dMMR tumors because it’s likely they do not need surgery or radiation if they are treated first with immunotherapy for a sufficient amount of time,” commented lead author Andrea Cercek (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, USA).
Zongertinib shows strong, durable responses in HER2-mutated lung cancer
The Phase Ia/Ib Beamion LUNG-1 trial has demonstrated that zongertinib, an oral HER2-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, induced strong and durable responses in patients with advanced, previously treated HER2-mutated NSCLC.
“Until recently, there were no effective targeted therapies for HER2-mutated NSCLC. This potentially practice-changing approval of zongertinib would provide access to a highly efficacious treatment option with a manageable safety profile and would be the first oral therapy and only tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for patients with HER2-mutated NSCLC,” explained presenter of the study John V. Heymach (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, USA).
Breast cancer presentations to watch out for at AACR 2025
Discover key breast cancer research sessions, focusing on biomarker developments, HER2 classification and treatment response prediction.
Zoldonrasib demonstrates promising clinical benefit for KRAS G12D-mutated NSCLC
Encouraging efficacy reports of using zoldonrasib in NSCLC patients with KRAS G12D mutations have been reported at the AACR Annual Meeting. Current US FDA approved therapies target KRAS G12C, which makes up around 13% of NSCLC mutations, however, KRAS G12D mutations contribute to approximately 4% of these cancer cases with no approved therapies yet to target it.
“These data represent a substantial advance for patients with KRAS G12D-mutated lung cancer. We’ve shown for the first time that selectively targeting KRAS G12D is feasible and well tolerated in this distinct population of patients with NSCLC,” commented Kathryn C. Arbour (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, NY, USA).
VICTORI showcases the potential of a ctDNA assay in detecting colorectal cancer
Interim results from the VICTORI study have revealed that an ultrasensitive ctDNA-based liquid biopsy assay could detect colorectal cancer recurrence, providing key prognostic value within a month after surgery.
Using a personalized tumor tissue-derived panel, liquid biopsies were taken prior to surgery and at regular intervals post-surgery and analyzed using the NeXT Personal assay. Of note, ctDNA was detectable in 87% of patients within the period that adjuvant chemotherapy is typically administered. All patients with clinical recurrence were ctDNA-positive before recurrence was detected via imaging, by a median of 198 days earlier.
“The results from our study help to clarify the ideal timepoint for ctDNA testing following a surgical procedure, showing that we can detect residual cancer as early as 2 weeks following surgery,” explained study presenter Emma Titmuss (BC Cancer, Vancouver, Canada). She added that 4 weeks was identified as the ideal time to test for ctDNA.
New single-cell reference atlas of hematopoiesis
Researchers from the University of Toronto (Canada) presented a new high-resolution gene expression atlas that shows the normal differentiation process of hematopoietic cells. The atlas has been used to identify cell states in acute myeloid leukemia and shed light on the heterogeneity seen in the disease.