Five typical studies presented at the ASCO Breakthrough 2026 Conference, taking place from June 25-27 in Singapore, will focus on important advances in cancer screening, targeted treatment and optimizing the quality of life for patients.
Breakthrough in early detection of multiple cancers using SPOT-MAS
A practical study on more than 22,000 people in 6 Asian countries has confirmed the accuracy and usefulness of the SPOT-MAS test in clinical practice. By analyzing multi-layered tumor DNA in the blood, the test achieves 79.0% sensitivity and 99.9% specificity. SPOT-MAS not only accurately predicts the location of cancer organs in nearly 80% of positive cases but also provides an important complementary screening method for cancers without standard tests (such as stomach, liver, nasopharyngeal), bringing great hope to low- and middle-income countries without national screening programs.
(Dr. Nguyen Luu Hong Dang, Doctor of Medicine, Institute of Medical Genetics, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
New supportive therapy for HER2+ breast cancer
Phase II trial (neoPICD) opens up a promising direction for HER2+ breast cancer patients progressing locally without metastasis. The combination of two new HER2 targeted drugs, Inetetamab and Pyrotinib, along with chemotherapy has helped 60.2% of patients achieve complete pathological response (complete removal of active cancer cells after surgery). The disease control rate reaches 100%, showing that this protocol has the potential to become a new standard treatment option to help patients with a high tumor burden achieve more positive results.
(Main author Chenghui Yang, Breast Surgery Department, Wenzhou Medical University Hospital, China)
Effectiveness of Inavolisib on Asian breast cancer patients
Analysis of the Asian patient group from phase 3 INAVO120 clinical trials showed that the new PI3K inhibitor, Inavolisib, was highly effective and safe for patients with advanced breast cancer HR+, HER2-resistant and carrying PIK3CA mutations. When combined with Palbociclib and Fulvestrant, Inavolisib helped extend the non-progressive mid-term survival time to 14.8 months (compared to 6.8 months in the placebo group). Asian patients tolerated the drug well, with a lower rate of side effects suspension than the general population.
(Main author Yoon Sim Yap, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, Member of the Royal College of Internal Medicine Australia and New Zealand, PhD, National Cancer Center Singapore)
Improve quality of life thanks to early palliative care
A randomized clinical trial with advanced controls in India successfully quantified the benefits of palliative care intervention right from the time of breast cancer diagnosis. Patients integrated with early support care recorded outstanding improvement in overall health status (up 23.2 points) compared to the on-demand care group (up 14.7 points). This method significantly reduces the symptomatic burden and especially improves social function, consolidating the great benefits of supporting patients in parallel with radical treatment.
(Main author Himanshu Varshney, Doctor of Medicine, Dr. B.R. A Institute - Rotary Cancer Hospital, under the All India Institute of Health Sciences New Delhi, India).
GLP-1 RA helps reduce the risk of colorectal cancer
Using medical databases from more than 150 million people in the United States, a large-scale study revealed the unexpected protective effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA). In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), drug use helps reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by up to 51%. For people with both IBD and type 2 diabetes, this rate is reduced by 46%. This discovery promises an effective cancer prevention strategy for groups at high risk due to chronic inflammation and metabolic changes.
