ASCO 2026: Novel Breast Cancer Combo and Drug Access Program Highlighted
At ASCO 2026, Rutgers and Ohio State researchers present new breast cancer combination data, lymphoma survival analyses, and a drug donation program that cut medication wait times to about six days.
Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James will present new findings at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, held May 29–June 2 in Chicago and online. A late-breaking abstract from the I-SPY 2.2 trial evaluating neoadjuvant rilvegostomig plus trastuzumab deruxtecan in high-risk HER2-negative breast cancer is scheduled for presentation on June 1.
Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with RWJBarnabas Health, will have a significant presence with 39 accepted peer-reviewed scientific abstracts, including one late-breaking session and a combination of oral and poster presentations, a clinical science symposium, an education session and panel Q&A. “Advances in cancer care are increasingly defined by how effectively we can translate scientific discovery into meaningful impact for patients,” the director of Rutgers Cancer Institute and senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health said.
Rutgers presentations include results from Part 1B of the Phase 3 OLYMPIA-3 study evaluating odronextamab plus chemotherapy in 40 patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with high-risk features. The safety profile was generally manageable and similar across groups, with encouraging preliminary efficacy and no meaningful differences between regimens; the less frequent dosing schedule was selected as the recommended Phase 3 dose. A multivariable analysis of overall survival from the Phase 3 SUNMO, STARGLO, and POLARGO trials in relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma showed favorable overall survival with adjusted hazard ratios ≤0.65 versus rituximab plus chemotherapy across all three studies, and a pooled analysis supported the survival benefit of mosunetuzumab plus polatuzumab vedotin. An education session reviewed evidence that early integration of palliative care can improve quality of life, reduce symptom burden, improve mood, and reduce aggressive end-of-life care in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. In the HERO trial, Tai Chi Qigong favorably regulated genes involved in inflammation, metabolite sensing, and energy activation pathways at 3 months among 113 participants, supporting biological mechanisms behind its effects on cancer-related fatigue.
Researchers from OSUCCC – James will present findings including a pharmacist-led oral cancer drug repository that redistributes unused oral cancer drugs donated by patients. Patients received drugs through the repository in about six days, compared with more than two weeks through standard insurance and specialty pharmacy channels, and more than $4 million worth of oral medications were returned to patient care between February 2021 and September 2025. About half of this drug access helped patients stay on treatment, while the other half helped patients start treatment or fill gaps caused by insurance changes or delivery delays. “It’s not only a financial issue. It’s also an access issue — and in many cases, a supply issue,” a hematology/oncology specialty practice pharmacist at OSUCCC – James said.
In colorectal cancer research, investigators found that colorectal cancer in younger adults is a biologically unique disease rather than just an early appearance of typical late-onset cancer. The study suggests it may interact with the nervous system in ways that increase inflammation and disrupt how the body processes certain fats, and reports discovery of an “aging clock” made up of 11 genes that appears to speed up aging in colon tissue due to environmental factors. The distinct genetic signature could enable a simple, routine blood test for screening younger adults before they would qualify for a traditional colonoscopy.
An early-phase clinical trial from OSUCCC – James combined the targeted therapy osimertinib with the experimental drug tegavivint in EGFR-mutant lung cancer.