Netherlands Cancer Institute well represented during ESMO 2022

08-09-2022

This year’s European Society for Medical Oncology congress will take place between September 9 and 13 in Paris. This event will focus on the main questions and developments in cancer research. As always, many of our oncologists are present at the congress. This year they will be taking the central stage to present several exciting and innovative studies into immunotherapy, including the following five highlights.

The TIL trial: T cell therapy for metastatic melanoma
On Saturday, September 10, John Haanen will present the results of the TIL trial: the first comparative phase 3 study in the world to examine the effect of the patient's own T cells (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes; TIL) as a "living drug" for metastatic melanoma. In this treatment, the T cells from the patient's metastasis are multiplied into billions of cells in the laboratory, and then returned to the patient. The outcome of this trial is vital for patients, as a phase 3 study is a prerequisite to getting TIL therapy accepted as standard therapy.

The NICHE-2: neoadjuvant immunotherapy for colon cancer
In 2020, Myriam Chalabi published about the NICHE study looking into neoadjuvant immunotherapy in colorectal cancer. The results of this study were overwhelmingly positive. One of the things they showed was that 100% of patients with a specific subtype of colorectal cancer (MSI) benefited from the treatment. In the NICHE-2 study, she investigated the effects of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in MSI colorectal cancer in a much larger patient group. She will give a presentation about this study on Sunday, September 11. We will find out whether the results of this larger study were equally positive, and whether this will lead to a new standard treatment.
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Towards personalized immunotherapy for breast cancer
Immunotherapy will be included as a treatment for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) alongside chemotherapy in the near future. Because chemotherapy is a very intensive treatment with many side effects, Marleen Kok's team is trying to find the patient groups that could benefit from short-term immunotherapy without chemotherapy in the BELLINI trial. It is the first trial in the world specifically looking for triple negative breast cancer patients who have immune cells among the cancer cells are specifically selected, because the immunotherapy may have a higher chance of success. The outcome is important for taking the right steps toward personalized immunotherapy for breast cancer patients. Her presentation is scheduled for Saturday, September 10.

Immune therapy for head and neck cancer: the biological foundation
The group of Lotje Zuur is investigating immunotherapy prior to surgery in advanced head and neck cancer. The group published an important study on this in December 2021, showing that 35% of patients responded well to immunotherapy, with none of these patients experiencing recurrence. By closely examining the biological characteristics of the tumors, the group is now investigating why some patients respond better to immunotherapy than others. Postdoc Joleen Traets will discuss this study at ESMO on September 11 in the fundamental and translational research category.

The promises of immunotherapy, particularly T cell therapy
Researcher Ton Schumacher and physician John Haanen will give a joint keynote lecture on September 11: a duo presentation on new developments in immunotherapy. This presentation will include a demonstration of the ways in which a collaboration between doctors and researchers can be motivating and synergistic, bringing together the worlds of research and patient care. The presentation will focus on cell therapy: what exactly do T cells recognize, and what did this knowledge bring us? How can we further improve and refine TIL treatment, for example?

Overview of all presentations

Presentations at the ESMO Congress 2022 include (all times CEST):

Fri. 09.09 10:20 – 10:40	M. Chalabi: Current status of I-O for treating CRC	Industry Satellite Symposium
Fri. 09.09 14:00 – 15:30	M. Chalabi: Neoadjuvant immunotherapy in CRC: where do we go from here?	Special Symposium
Fri. 09.09 16:50 – 17:05	G. Beets: The surgeon’s perspective: TME, local excision or watch and wait?	Multidisciplinary session
Sat. 10.09 10:25 – 10:35	I Nederhof: Nivolumab and ipilimumab in early-stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs): first results from the BELLINI trial.	Presentation #LBA13 Proffered Paper
Sat 10.09 10:50 – 11:05	J. De Langen: How to address resistance	Special Symposium
Sat. 10.09 12:55 – 13:15	M. Van Klinken: Discussion concerning patient film and evidence	Industry Satellite Symposium
Sat. 10.09 13:00 – 13:15	W. Van Der Graaf: The importance of joining clinical research to improve cancer research outcomes	Patient Advocacy session
Sat. 10.09 13:15 – 13:25	M. Van Klinken: Recommendations for future practice	Industry Satellite Symposium
Sat. 10.09 15:20 – 15:25	J. Van Der Haar: γδT cells are effectors of immune checkpoint blockade in mismatch repair-deficient colon cancers with antigen presentation defects	Presentation #733MO Mini Oral
Sat. 10.09 16:35 -16:40	M. Sweegers: Perspectives of patients with metastatic breast cancer on exercise interventions. Results from a survey in five European countries.	Presentation #1554MO Mini Oral
Sat. 10.09 17:20 – 17:35	J. Haanen: Treatment with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) versus ipilimumab for advanced melanoma: results from a multicenter, randomized phase 3 trial	Presentation #LBA3 Proffered Paper
Sat. 10.09 19:05 – 19:25	E. Smit: Targeting HER2 and KRAS to Deliver Breakthrough Therapies	Industry Satellite Symposium
Sun. 11.09 10:50 – 11:05	R.L. Haas: RT and radioenhancer: Chemotherapy, TKI and nanoparticles	Multidisciplinary session
Sun 11.09 12:05 – 12:30	J. Haanen, T. Schumacher: Antigen-focused, biotech-empowered: The promise of antibody and cell-based therapies in cancer	Keynote lecture
Sun 11.09 15:05 – 15:20	M. Kok: Invited Discussant LBA72, 904MO, 68MO and 1661MO	Mini Oral Session
Sun 11.09 17:15 – 17:30	M. Chalabi: Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition in locally advanced MMRdeficient colon cancer: the NICHE-2 study	Presentation #LBA7 Proffered Paper
Sun 11.09 17:20 – 17:30	J. Traets: Dual immune checkpoint blockade induces analogous alterations in the intratumoral CD8+ T cell and Treg compartments	Presentation #1660O Proffered Paper
Mon. 12.09 09:00 – 09:05	J. Versluis: Clinical and tumor characteristics of patients (pts) with recurrence after pathologic response upon neoadjuvant ipilimumab (IPI) + nivolumab (NIVO) in stage III melanoma	Presentation #791MO Mini oral
Mon 12.09 13:05 – 13:20	M. Kok: Stepping into the emerging needs in metastatic breast cancer	Industry Satellite Symposium
Mon 12.09 16:35 – 16:40	J. Vancoppenolle: Actual patient access to innovative medicines in six European countries	Presentation #1319MO Mini Oral
Mon 12.09 18:55 – 19:20	E. Smit: Which Patients May Benefit From Emerging ADCs in NSCLC: Explaining the Clinical Trial Data	Industry Satellite Symposium

View the entire program of the ESMO 2022

Netherlands Cancer Institute well represented during ESMO 2022

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