UCSF’s Eric J. Small, MD, becomes ASCO president at ASCO 2025 meeting
Oncology specialists from UC San Francisco presented new clinical research findings and cutting-edge treatment strategies at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, May 30 to June 3 in Chicago.
Leading cancer researchers presented talks about advances in targeted therapies, cancer genomics, using AI to improve prediction of cancer outcomes and other cancer research topics.
The international conference featured many hundreds of sessions complementing this year’s theme, “Driving Knowledge to Action: Building a Better Future,” with more than 5,000 abstracts presented and published as part of ASCO’s 2025 meeting.
In addition, UCSF’s Eric J. Small, MD, FASCO, who had been president-elect of ASCO, began his term as president for 2025-2026 following ASCO’s annual business meeting on June 2. In his first remarks as president, Small addressed ASCO attendees and announced the presidential theme for his tenure.
“I am deeply honored to step into the role of 2025-26 ASCO President. My focus will be guided by the theme, ‘The Science and Practice of Translation: Improving Cancer Outcomes Worldwide.’ I’m looking forward to a productive and collaborative year ahead with our incredible ASCO community,” said Small.
Small is a medical oncologist with a focus in urologic malignancies, particularly in prostate cancer. He serves as co-leader of the UCSF Prostate Cancer Program and as deputy director and chief scientific officer of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prior to assuming these roles, he served for 10 years as chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the UCSF Department of Medicine. He is a longtime ASCO member and volunteer, a past member of ASCO’s board of directors and a recent mentor in the ASCO Leadership Development Program. An international leader in prostate cancer research, he has published more than 420 peer-reviewed articles and in 2022 was inducted into the OncLive Giants of Cancer Care Program.
Oral Presentations
Jo Chien, MD, breast oncologist and medical director of Breast Medical Oncology at UCSF, was chair and lead speaker for the “Dr. Bernard Fisher Memorial Annual Clinical Science Symposium Supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.” She presented “ctDNA in Breast Cancer: It's Here, Are We Ready?” This session highlighted four abstracts about ctDNA in breast cancer, spanning the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic settings. Chien discussed several of the trials and studies involving the use of ctDNA for potential clinical applications in breast cancer. Although ctDNA represents a fraction of cell-free DNA shed by tumor cells, ctDNA can be helpful in detecting mutations in the metastatic setting and in turn, can potentially be used to select therapies targeting those mutations before clinical progression. Chien also discussed whether ctDNA can be utilized to detect early metastatic recurrence before seeing recurrence on a CT scan. Despite potential benefits, challenges remain, such using ctDNA assays that are sensitive enough to pick up low levels of ctDNA and the need to test patients earlier before they develop metastatic disease.
Chien also presented the poster “Serum estradiol (sE2) levels in premenopausal (PreM) women receiving neoadjuvant ovarian function suppression (OFS) with the oral SERD amcenestrant, alone, or in combination with letrozole or abemaciclib in the I-SPY2 Endocrine Optimization Pilot (EOP).” The addition of OFS to standard endocrine therapy (ET) improves iDFS for preM women with early-stage hormone receptor–positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC). Incomplete OFS occurs in a subset of women, the long-term clinical significance of which is unclear. Chien’s study evaluated local sE2 levels in preM women receiving OFS with an oral SERD in the neoadjuvant (NA) setting. Abstract #604
Silver Alkhafaji, BS, a PhD candidate in the UCSF Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Program, was a panelist and presenter for “Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with stage 2/3 HR+HER2-negative breast cancer (BC) treated with neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) in the I-SPY2 endocrine optimization pilot (EOP) trial” during the oral abstract session “Developmental Therapeutics—Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology.” Numerous studies have demonstrated the prognostic value of ctDNA analysis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage high-risk breast cancer. Few studies have characterized ctDNA in patients receiving NET for early-stage hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER2- BC that is predicted to benefit less from chemotherapy. In this study of patients with stage 2/3 HR+/HER2- BC with largely MammaPrint low-risk signatures, more than one-third of patients had detectable ctDNA at baseline. Alkhafaji reported on the associations found for detectable ctDNA at baseline. (UCSF’s Jo Chien and Laura Esserman are senior authors.) Abstract #3008
Darwin Kwok, PhD, MS, a UCSF medical student and postdoctoral scholar, was a panelist and presenter for “Tumor-wide RNA splicing aberrations and their potential as therapeutic neoantigen targets” during the rapid oral abstract session “Developmental Therapeutics – Immunotherapy.” Tumor heterogeneity and low mutational burden limits the availability of effective immunotherapy targets. Aberrant RNA-splicing (neojunctions) represents an underexplored yet promising source of neoantigens. To address this, Kwok and the research team developed a neoantigen discovery platform (SNIPP) that characterizes a novel class of neoantigens derived from tumor-wide aberrant RNA splicing. Abstract #2519
Scott Swartz, MD, MS, UCSF resident physician, presented “Analysis of evidence in NCCN harmonized guidelines for sub-Saharan Africa” during the clinical science symposium “Global Cancer Care Delivery: Resiliency in the Face of Conflict and Resource Constraints.” The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Harmonized Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have emerged as leading cancer treatment guidelines in the region. The NCCN-SSA guidelines, derived by adapting NCCN guidelines for the SSA context, offer standardized recommendations to guide cancer care and shape policy in SSA. This study examined the evidence cited in support of the NCCN-SSA guidelines and whether there are any limitations for their generalizability to SSA. Abstract #1510
Anuradha Banerjee, MD, MPH, a pediatric neuro-oncologist and UCSF professor of Pediatrics, was a panelist and presenter for “Preserving Young Minds: Where to Go in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology” during the oral abstract session S504 “Pediatric Oncology II.” Banerjee analyzed the significance of session abstracts within the context of current knowledge, highlighting clinical application and implications for future research and practice.
Rita Mukhtar, MD, a breast cancer surgeon and UCSF associate professor of Surgery, was a panelist and presenter for “Predicting nodal burden after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with circulating tumor (ct)DNA for surgical planning: Results from the I-SPY2 trial” during the oral abstract session “Breast Cancer—Local/Regional/Adjuvant.” Axillary surgery in breast cancer is used for staging and therapeutic purposes, but axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) confers a high risk of complications, including lymphedema. Accordingly, trials have focused on right-sizing axillary surgery, with options ranging from complete omission of surgery, sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery, targeted axillary dissection (TAD) or ALND. Identifying a biomarker to reliably predict nodal burden would facilitate accurate selection of surgical management. Mukhtar and her team evaluated whether the presence or absence of ctDNA in the blood before and after NAC is associated with residual nodal burden. Abstract #504
Rahul Raj Aggarwal, MD, a genitourinary oncologist and UCSF professor of Medicine, was a panelist and presenter for “Tailoring Therapy in Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: Do Biomarkers Make the Cut?” during an oral abstract session on prostate, testicular and penile cancers.
Aggarwal also presented the poster “A randomized, open-label, phase 2b study of the BET bromodomain inhibitor (BETi) ZEN-3694 plus enzalutamide vs. enzalutamide in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)” during a poster session on prostate, testicular and penile cancers. Androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI), such as enzalutamide (Enza) and abiraterone (Abi), are standard therapies for metastatic hormone-sensitive and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mHSPC, mCRPC). Patients who respond to the initial ARSI are frequently prescribed a second ARSI upon progression. A suboptimal response to first-line ARSI, including approximately 20% treated with an ARSI for mHSPC who progress within 12 months of treatment initiation, may enrich for cancers harboring AR-independent mechanisms of resistance, including treatment-emergent neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC). Aggarwal discussed the phase 2b randomized trial enriching for mCRPC with suboptimal response to first-line ARSI that has dosed 150 of 200 patients to date. Abstract TPS5123
Education Sessions
Chloe Atreya, MD, PhD, gastrointestinal oncologist and UCSF professor of Medicine, was a panelist and presented a medical oncologist perspective during the case-based session “ctDNA Guiding Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: Ready for Primetime?” Emerging evidence suggests a potential role for ctDNA testing in the treatment of patients with curable and metastatic colorectal cancer. Atreya discussed optimal ways to tailor ctDNA-guided treatment based on available evidence; reviewed available platforms for ctDNA detection, including advantages and disadvantages of different techniques; and discussed the psychological impact and financial toxicity of ctDNA-guided treatment.
Robin Kate Kelley, MD, a gastrointestinal oncologist and UCSF professor of Medicine, presented “State of the Science in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma” during educational session E451, “State of the Art in Care of Hepatobiliary Malignancies.” Treatment for patients with HCC and bile duct cancers is evolving. Kelley addressed the latest advancements and evolving strategies for patients with bile duct cancer; discussed recent research and current clinical practice in HCC; and discussed local therapy options for patients with these malignancies, including the role of radiation.
Poster Presentations
Akanksha Dua, UCSF medical student, presented the poster “Real-world predictors of adverse clinical outcomes in pancreatic cancer using a machine-learning framework.” The main treatment regimen for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDA), FOLFIRINOX (FFX), is highly toxic and requires frequent dose modifications, with most patients too sick to tolerate multiple lines of therapy. Given the aggressiveness of the disease, selecting the appropriate first-line dosing is crucial since it can be associated with better patient outcomes. The current study objective was to evaluate the association between real-world dosing patterns and clinical toxicity using a machine-learning framework. Dua’s study identified clinical features in combination chemotherapy leading to specific toxicities, highlighting these as ideal strategies for intervention. Abstract #4186
Vardhaan S. Ambati, MS, UCSF medical student and member of the UCSF Neuroinformatics Lab, presented the poster “Identification of novel electrophysiologic biomarkers of cognition in glioma-infiltrated cortex.” Diffuse gliomas, the most common primary brain cancers, often invade speech-critical areas. Maximal resection improves survival, but damage to functional cortex areas may cause permanent impairments. As a result, fewer than 50% of glioma patients receive optimal surgical care. Direct cortical stimulation (DCS) differentiates functional from nonfunctional cortex areas by temporarily disrupting neuronal activity, yet it is technically challenging and resource-intensive. This translational study set out to identify electrophysiological biomarkers of the functional cortex to aid in safe resection by avoiding functional cortex. This study is the first of its kind to identify unique electrophysiological biomarker differences (at resting state) for oligodendroglioma and astrocytoma speech cortex. Abstract #2077
Katy K. Tsai, MD, a medical oncologist and UCSF associate professor of Medicine, presented the poster “A phase II study of binimetinib plus imatinib in patients with unresectable KIT-mutant melanoma” during a poster session on melanoma/skin cancers. Patients with melanoma resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remain in need of rational therapeutic options. Patients with rare melanoma subtypes (such as acral or mucosal) are in particular need, given lower objective response rates to ICIs. This phase II study will be the first to evaluate the efficacy and safety of binimetinib plus imatinib in patients with KIT-mutant melanoma. Abstract # TPS9605
Cornelia Ding, MD, PhD, a surgical pathologist and UCSF assistant professor of Urology and Pathology, presented the poster “External validation of a pathology-based multimodal artificial intelligence biomarker for predicting prostate cancer outcomes after prostatectomy.”Radical prostatectomy (RP) improves survival and delays metastasis in localized prostate cancer (PCa) patients, yet 20 to 40% of men experience biochemical recurrence (BCR) within 10 years, with one-third of these progressing to metastatic disease. Predictive tools for risk stratification and treatment decision-making in this population remain limited. Ding and her collaborators previously developed and validated an RP digital pathology-based multimodal AI (MMAI) model using RP H&E images and select clinical variables to predict postsurgical outcomes in BCR patients. Here, she presented the first external validation of this model in both BCR and non-BCR post-RP patients. Abstract #5106
Terence W. Friedlander, MD, a genitourinary oncologist and UCSF professor of Medicine, presented the poster “A phase 2, open-label, randomized study of livmoniplimab in combination with budigalimab versus chemotherapy in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma.” Urothelial carcinoma (UC) has a high mortality rate in patients with metastatic disease. While immune checkpoint inhibitors, including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, combined with chemotherapy or enfortumab vedotin, have been approved for first-line treatment of metastatic UC, many patients have de novo or develop acquired resistance. For patients without response to frontline treatment or whose disease has progressed on prior CPI combinations, optimal treatment is unclear and new therapies are urgently needed. Friedlander described this multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 2 study that is evaluating livmoniplimab plus budigalimab versus chemotherapy in patients who have metastic UC and have experienced disease progression on anti–PD-1 or anti–PD-1 ligand 1 therapy. Abstract #TPS4618
Pamela Munster, MD, a medical oncologist and co-director of the UCSF Center for BRCA Research, presented the poster “A phase I/Ib study of olaparib and ASTX727 in BRCA 1/2- and HRD-mutated tumors.” Patients with germline or somatic homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway mutations often develop resistance despite initial response to treatment. Overlapping toxicities hinder combination strategies in breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancers, creating a need for safer and more effective approaches. Preclinical studies have shown that DNMT inhibition enhances PARP inhibitor efficacy by promoting PARP trapping on DNA. This phase I study aims to assess the safety and tolerability of olaparib and AST727 in HRR-mutated patients and establish the recommended dose for a phase II trial, to be supported by National Cancer Institute ComboMATCH.
Abstract #TPS3183
Thomas O’Keefe, MD, UCSF clinical fellow in Breast Surgical Oncology, presented the poster “Reframing hormone-positive DCIS management: Effects of adjuvant therapies and surgical extent on any invasive recurrence.” The treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is still primarily informed by trials that are now decades old. Having since learned that only invasive subsequent events (not noninvasive ones) increase a woman’s risk of eventual metastasis and breast cancer mortality and may necessitate more aggressive systemic treatment. This suggests a need for the reassessment of the impact of adjuvant therapies. Abstract #572
Brendan Raizanne, MD, UCSF urologic oncology fellow, presented the poster “Prognostic utility of ctDNA before and after trimodality therapy (TMT) for muscle invasive bladder cancer.” Outside of standard patient and tumor characteristics, biomarkers predicting outcomes after TMT for nonmetastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) are lacking. Tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has identified MIBC patients at risk of relapse following radical cystectomy. This study assessed the clinical utility of a ctDNA assay in predicting disease progression following TMT. Abstract #4578
Connie Zhou, MD, UCSF resident in Head and Neck Surgery, presented the poster “Real world utilization of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN).” In head and neck cancer, practice trends of utilizing comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) vary, depending on physician preference and test availability. Zhu and the research team examined the impact of CGP on treatment decision-making and patient outcomes in SCCHN at a single institution. Abstract #6021
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