MSK research advances at ASCO 2026

New possibilities for people with cancer

Every year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting brings together oncologists and cancer researchers from around the world. At the 2026 meeting in Chicago, physician-scientists from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) shared research on emerging treatments for some of the most challenging cancers. Several of the featured investigators and studies received support from Cycle for Survival and Fred’s Team. 

For the Cycle for Survival community, these findings offer a powerful view of what fundraising helps make possible. Support for rare cancer research gives MSK doctors and scientists the flexibility to investigate bold ideas, move promising discoveries toward clinical trials, and explore new options for people who urgently need them. 

Below are some of the advances MSK researchers presented at ASCO 2026. 

Personalized T cells take aim at synovial sarcoma 

Sarcoma medical oncologist and cellular therapist Sandra D’Angelo, MD, presented pooled results from phase 1 and phase 2 trials of afamitresgene autoleucel (Tecelra®), also called afami-cel, for people with advanced synovial sarcoma. This personalized T cell therapy is designed to recognize and attack cancer cells that express a protein called MAGE-A4. 

The analysis included 153 people whose cancer had progressed after standard treatments. Tumors shrank in nearly 44% of those who received the therapy, with responses seen across multiple groups, including pediatric patients. The findings support afami-cel as a potential treatment option for people with advanced synovial sarcoma. 

A targeted therapy slows a rare liposarcoma 

Sarcoma medical oncologist Mark Dickson, MD, shared findings from a phase 3 study of abemaciclib (Verzenio®) for people with dedifferentiated liposarcoma that had spread or returned after treatment. Treatment options for this rare cancer have remained largely unchanged for decades. 

Abemaciclib blocks CDK4, a protein that nearly all of these tumors rely on to grow. In the study, the drug stopped tumor growth for an average of 10 months — six times longer than a placebo. Among people who received it as their first treatment, tumor growth was stopped for 16.5 months. While more research is underway, the drug could be an important option for people with recurrent or advanced disease. 

Expanding options for rare kidney cancers 

People with non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a group of rare kidney cancers, have relatively few treatment options. Genitourinary medical oncologist Darren Feldman, MD, Section Head of Germ Cell Cancer, presented final results from a phase 2 trial combining cabozantinib (Cabometyx®), a targeted therapy, with nivolumab (Opdivo®), an immunotherapy. 

The combination produced lasting responses and encouraging survival outcomes in several subtypes of advanced disease. The research supports the combination as a first-line treatment option and could help broaden care for people with rare kidney cancers. 

Delaying the growth of desmoid tumors 

Sarcoma medical oncologist and early drug development specialist Mrinal Gounder, MD, Physician Ambassador to India and Asia, presented results from a phase 3 clinical trial of varegacestat, an investigational oral therapy designed to block a signaling pathway that helps desmoid tumors grow. Although these rare tumors do not spread to distant parts of the body, they can become large and cause pain, disability, and reduced quality of life. 

People who received varegacestat were significantly less likely to experience disease progression than those who received a placebo. The treatment also led to meaningful reductions in pain, suggesting it could improve both disease control and quality of life. 

Testing hormone therapy for salivary gland cancer 

A subset of salivary gland cancers depends on the androgen receptor, a protein that can help tumors grow. Alan Ho, MD, PhD, Chief of the Head and Neck Oncology Service, presented early findings from a phase 2 trial combining darolutamide (Nubeqa®), which blocks the androgen receptor, with leuprolide acetate, which lowers levels of hormones involved in the process. 

The results support further study of androgen signaling as a treatment target and could lead to additional options for people with androgen receptor-positive salivary gland tumors. 

Advancing combination treatments across cancers 

Yelena Janjigian, MD, Chief of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service and Carroll and Milton Petrie Chair, studied combinations built around trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®), a HER2-targeted treatment, for people with advanced stomach or esophageal junction cancers. The combinations were generally consistent with the known safety profiles of the individual therapies, and researchers observed no unexpected side effects. The results support continued development of these treatment combinations. 

In breast cancer news, Komal Jhaveri, MD, Section Head of the Endocrine Therapy Research Program, Clinical Director of the Early Drug Development Service, and Patricia and James Cayne Chair for Junior Faculty, presented findings from a phase 3 trial of giredestrant plus everolimus for estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative disease that had progressed after earlier treatment. People receiving the combination went longer before their cancer worsened and were able to delay chemotherapy compared with those receiving standard hormone-based treatments. 

Michael Morris, MD, Prostate Cancer Section Head of Genitourinary Oncology and Steven A. Greenberg Chair in Prostate Cancer Research, presented results from a phase 2 study evaluating rosopatamab tetraxetan (CONV01-α), an investigational radiopharmaceutical that delivers alpha-particle radiation directly to prostate cancer cells. The drug targets prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Encouraging and lasting responses were seen in a significant number of participants, including some whose cancer had not responded to previous PSMA-directed therapy. 

A major advance in pancreatic cancer 

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Eileen O’Reilly, MD, Chair of the Human Research Protection Program and Institutional Review Board, Co-Director of Medical Initiatives at the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Section Head of Hepatopancreaticobiliary and Neuroendocrine Cancers, and Winthrop Rockefeller Chair of Medical Oncology, presented phase 3 results for daraxonrasib (Rasonque™), a targeted therapy designed to block mutations in KRAS, a gene that drives the growth of more than 90% of pancreatic cancers. 

Compared with standard chemotherapy, daraxonrasib doubled median survival to just over 13 months, versus about six months with standard treatment. It also helped shrink tumors, slowed disease progression, and was better tolerated than chemotherapy by people in the trial. The findings suggest that directly targeting KRAS could transform care for this difficult-to-treat disease. 

Helping people with multiple myeloma stay in remission longer 

Saad Usmani, MD, MBA, Chief of the Myeloma Service, presented results from a phase 3 trial comparing an antibody-based four-drug combination with the standard three-drug treatment for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. After more than six years of follow-up, people receiving the four-drug regimen were more likely to have deep responses, remain free of disease progression, and stay in remission longer. 

Many people who received the newer regimen continued to do well years after diagnosis, suggesting that deeper and more lasting responses can lead to longer survival. 

Powered by a community that believes in progress 

These studies span different diseases and scientific approaches, but they share a common goal: creating better options for people with cancer. Cycle for Survival helps fuel this work by supporting MSK doctors and scientists as they investigate emerging treatments, build the evidence needed to move them forward, and pursue progress against rare cancers. 

The findings presented at ASCO 2026 show how research can move from a scientific idea toward meaningful change for patients. They also show why sustained support matters. When the Cycle for Survival community rides, fundraises, and gives, it helps MSK researchers continue asking ambitious questions and advancing discoveries that can change lives. 

Thank you for helping power the movement to beat rare cancers.