The ESMO Congress

At this year’s event, held in Berlin, physician-researchers from Gustave Roussy presented 60 scientific studies covering a wide range of topics: resistance mechanisms in innovative therapies, analysis of pharmacological treatments, gender equity issues in oncology, and more…

• When the Tumor Microenvironment Hinders the Efficacy of CAR-T Cell Therapies, by researcher Myriam Ben Khelil

• Preventing Cancer with Medications: A Look Back at 40 Years of Clinical Trials, by Dr. Alexandre Xu-Vuillard

Gathered in Barcelona, experts from Gustave Roussy presented studies highlighting new therapeutic strategies (hypofractionated radiation therapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies), an analysis of mechanisms of treatment resistance, as well as the development of precision medicine and molecular profiling in several types of cancer (breast, lung, prostate, thymus, sarcomas, and rare tumors). Studies also addressed issues such as prevention, supportive care, and the impact of environmental factors.

• Radiation therapy for women with breast cancer will now last a maximum of three weeks, by Dr. Sofia Rivera
• New Hope in the Management of Thymus Cancers, by Dr. Jordi Remon
• A new antibody conjugate: a promising drug for metastatic breast cancer, by Dr. Barbara Pistilli
• Metastatic lung cancer: new therapeutic avenues are opening up thanks to the identification of resistance to targeted therapies, by Prof. Benjamin Besse
• Personalized Treatments for Soft Tissue Sarcomas, by Dr. Benjamin Verret

At the 2023 ESMO Congress in Madrid, physician-researchers from Gustave Roussy presented studies highlighting the evaluation of new therapeutic options as well as the optimization of treatment strategies through clinical trials and meta-analyses.

• Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Selpercatinib, a Selective Targeted Therapy, by Dr. Julien Hadoux

• Kidney Cancers: A New Class of Therapies Proves Its Worth, by Prof. Laurence Albiges

• Smooth muscle sarcomas: results with a combination of chemotherapies, by Dr. Patricia Pautier 

• ENT Cancers: What Role Do EGFR-Targeted Therapies Play?, by Prof. Pierre Blanchard

• Malignant Adrenal Gland Tumors: Promising Results with a Vaccine, by Dr. Eric Baudin

Held in Paris, the ESMO Congress featured several presentations by physician-researchers from Gustave Roussy. On this occasion, the Institute announced the creation of its alumni network to bring together talent trained at Gustave Roussy and strengthen international synergies in oncology. 

• The Impact of Treatments for Localized Breast Cancer on Induced Amenorrhea and Quality of Life in Premenopausal Women, by Dr. Rayan Kabirian

• Preliminary results of a highly targeted therapy (a highly selective FGFR-2 inhibitor) in patients with bile duct cancer (ReFocus trial), by Dr. Antoine Hollebecque

• Results of the KEYNOTE-B61 Phase II study on the combination of immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) and anti-angiogenic targeted therapy (lenvatinib) as first-line treatment for localized non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma, by Prof. Laurence Albiges

• Results of the Phase II OCLURANDOM trial evaluating the efficacy of an innovative vector-based internal radiation therapy for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, by Dr. Eric Baudin

Researchers at Gustave Roussy participated in numerous presentations of research findings, including two during presidential sessions. These presentations focused, in particular, on artificial intelligence as a predictive tool, therapeutic vaccination, and new treatments. 

• Artificial Intelligence Predicts the Risk of Relapse in Women with the Most Common Type of Breast Cancer, by Dr. Magali Lacroix-Triki
• Results of a therapeutic vaccine for lung cancer, by Prof. Benjamin Besse
• First scientific evidence of the efficacy of a treatment for rare neuroendocrine tumors, by Dr. Eric Baudin

Held virtually, the 2020 ESMO conference showcased Gustave Roussy’s expertise through 52 presentations. These presentations focused primarily on optimizing lung cancer care (radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and precision immuno-oncology), as well as on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the follow-up and treatment of cancer patients.

• Lung Cancer: Results of the LungART Trial on the Benefits of Conformal Radiation Therapy, by Dr. Cécile Le Péchoux
• Impact of COVID-19 on the care of cancer patients, by Aurélie Bardet
• Results of the PRINCEPS study on neoadjuvant immunotherapy for the treatment of lung cancer, by Prof. Benjamin Besse
• The PIONeeR Study on Precision Immuno-Oncology in Lung Cancer, by Prof. Fabrice Barlesi

Gathered in Barcelona alongside international physician-researchers, experts from Gustave Roussy presented studies focusing, in particular, on therapies for prostate and lung cancers. 

• Metastatic Prostate Cancer Resistant to Hormone Therapy: Treatment Standards Are Set to Change, by Prof. Karim Fizazi
• EGFR-mutated lung cancer: 7 months of life gained with third-generation targeted therapy, by Dr. David Planchard

At the 2018 ESMO conference held in Munich, teams from Gustave Roussy presented major advances in the treatment of breast, prostate, and thyroid cancers, kidney cancer, and sarcomas, through the evaluation of targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy, as well as the study of new approaches in early-stage trials. They also addressed the optimization of clinical practices, the management of side effects, and patients’ quality of life.

• A Drug Targeting a Genomic Abnormality Proves Effective for the First Time in Advanced Breast Cancer, by Prof. Fabrice André

• Breast Cancer: Are Women on Tamoxifen Taking Their Medication Properly?, by Dr. Barbara Pistilli

In 2015, during the ESMO Congress held in Vienna, physician-researchers from Gustave Roussy presented eight studies. These studies focused on two areas: immunotherapy and targeted therapies.

• Interim results from the AcSé crizotinib trial, by Prof. Gilles Vassal

• Results of the BIRCH trial, by Dr. Benjamin Besse

• The efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab, by Prof. Jean-Charles Soria

• Results of a study on the long-term follow-up of patients with ovarian cancer who experienced recurrence after conservative surgery, by Prof. Philippe Morice

• Advances in the Treatment of Rare Ovarian Tumors, by Dr. Patricia Pautier

• Comparison of combination therapy versus monotherapy with an anti-BRAF agent (vemurafenib) as first-line treatment, by Dr. Caroline Robert

• Evaluation of the prognostic value of mutation status in stage III non-small cell lung cancers treated with curative-intent radiation therapy/chemotherapy, by Dr. Angela Boros

• The efficacy of rociletinib in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, by Dr. Andréa Varga