Clinical trial results
Plain-language summaries of major cancer trials — and the difference between a result and an available treatment.
Every page here follows one idea: what happened, why it matters, and what it does not mean. Educational only — not medical advice.
- Melanoma · 2024NADINA Trial: Immunotherapy Before Melanoma SurgeryThe NADINA trial found two cycles of ipilimumab plus nivolumab before stage III melanoma surgery improved event-free survival over adjuvant nivolumab.
- Lung cancer · 2024LAURA Trial: Osimertinib for Stage III Lung CancerThe LAURA trial led FDA to approve osimertinib after chemoradiation for unresectable stage III EGFR-mutated lung cancer. What the numbers show and don't.
- Cervical cancer · 2024INTERLACE Trial: Induction Chemo in Cervical CancerThe INTERLACE trial found six weeks of induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation improved survival in locally advanced cervical cancer. The numbers.
- Lung cancer · 2024CROWN Trial: Lorlatinib in ALK-Positive Lung CancerCROWN trial 5-year results: 60% on lorlatinib had no progression of ALK-positive advanced lung cancer at 5 years. What PFS means, plus side-effect tradeoffs.
- Colorectal cancer · 2025CHALLENGE Trial: Exercise After Colon Cancer ChemoThe CHALLENGE trial found a 3-year structured exercise program after colon cancer chemotherapy improved disease-free and overall survival. Key numbers.
- Melanoma · 2026What Is an Individualized Neoantigen Therapy, and How Is One Made?The melanoma result in the news used a treatment built from one person's own tumor. Here is what a neoantigen is, how a personalized mRNA therapy is made, how long it takes, and why that matters for whether it can ever be routine.
- General · 2026Recurrence-Free Survival Is Not the Same as Living LongerTrial headlines often report recurrence-free or metastasis-free survival, not overall survival. Here is what each one counts, why researchers use them, and what a result that has met one but not the other can and cannot tell you.
- Melanoma · 2026The Melanoma Vaccine Headline: What It Changes for Patients Right NowA personalized mRNA therapy improved recurrence-free survival in melanoma after surgery. What that changes today for someone who has had melanoma removed, what it does not, and what to ask at the next appointment.
- Melanoma · 2026A Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccine Just Passed a Phase 3 Test in MelanomaMerck and Moderna say intismeran autogene plus pembrolizumab kept melanoma from coming back longer than pembrolizumab alone. What the trial measured, what it has not yet shown, and why the result is being called a first.
- RET-positive lung cancer · 2026RET-Positive Lung Cancer After Surgery: How to Read Adjuvant Trial HeadlinesAdjuvant targeted therapy is given after surgery to lower recurrence risk. Trial results must be read by biomarker, stage, endpoint, and follow-up.
- Lung cancer treatment vaccines · 2026Personalized Lung Cancer Vaccine Trials: What Researchers Are TestingPersonalized lung cancer vaccines are designed to train immune cells against tumor features. They remain experimental and are studied with other treatments.
- Lynch syndrome and prevention vaccines · 2026Lynch Syndrome and Cancer Interception: Why Vaccine Trials Are Closely WatchedLynch syndrome raises the risk of several cancers. Prevention-vaccine trials are experimental and do not replace proven surveillance.
- Treatment de-escalation and quality of life · 2026Less Treatment and Better Quality of Life: When Both Goals Can AlignSome de-escalation trials test whether selected patients can avoid treatment burden without losing cancer control. Eligibility and follow-up are crucial.
- Cancer treatment de-escalation · 2026When Less Cancer Treatment May Be Enough: Understanding De-escalation ResearchDe-escalation trials test whether some people can receive less treatment without losing important benefit. They do not support stopping care on your own.
- Decentralized cancer trials · 2026Decentralized Cancer Trials: Bringing Parts of Research Closer to HomeSome trials use local labs, telehealth, home monitoring, or mailed medicines. These methods can reduce travel but do not fit every study.
- ctDNA-guided cancer care · 2026ctDNA, Recurrence Risk, and Treatment Decisions: Detection Is Not the Final StepctDNA may identify molecular signs of remaining cancer. Trials still must show when changing treatment based on the result improves outcomes.
- AI clinical-trial matching · 2026AI Clinical-Trial Matching: Why a Suggested Match Is Only a Starting PointAI may screen records against trial criteria. A research team must still confirm eligibility, location, status, risks, and practical fit.
- patient-questions · 2026What Patients Should Ask After a Pediatric Brain Tumor T-Cell HeadlineEarly cell-therapy research in pediatric brain tumors can be hopeful and easy to overread. Here are the questions families can ask.
- study-literacy · 2026What Patients Should Ask After a Surrogate Endpoint HeadlineA plain-language news explainer on surrogate endpoints such as response rate and progression-free survival in cancer studies.
- phase 1 trial results · 2026What Patients Should Ask After a Small Phase 1 Cancer ResultA question-first guide to early phase 1 cancer trial headlines, including safety, dose-finding, response, eligibility, and why early results need context.
- Antibody-drug conjugates · 2026Why TROP2 Antibody-Drug Conjugates Are in Cancer NewsTROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugates are appearing in more cancer trial headlines. Here is what ADCs are, why sacituzumab tirumotecan is getting attention, and why investigational results need careful reading.
- Pediatric brain tumor immunotherapy · 2026Multi-Target T Cells for Pediatric Brain Tumors: Why the Phase 1 News MattersA phase 1 study reported long-term signals from multi-antigen T-cell therapy for aggressive pediatric brain tumors. The study is hopeful early research, not a standard treatment.
- Lymphoma · 2022ZUMA-7: What the Lymphoma Trial FoundZUMA-7 tested axicabtagene vs standard second-line in lymphoma, measuring event-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lymphoma · 2017ZUMA-1: What the Lymphoma Trial FoundZUMA-1 tested axicabtagene ciloleucel CAR T-cell therapy in lymphoma, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2002Women's Health Initiative: What the Hormone Therapy Trial FoundThe Women's Health Initiative tested combined estrogen and progestin against placebo in 16,608 healthy postmenopausal women. It was stopped early, and the invasive breast cancer signal was the reason it stopped.
- Prostate cancer · 2021VISION: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundVISION tested lutetium-177 PSMA-617, a radioactive drug that homes in on prostate cancer cells. A PET scan decides who can have it. Survival, side effects and the limits of the comparison.
- Leukemia · 2020VIALE-A: What the Leukemia Trial FoundVIALE-A tested venetoclax + azacitidine vs azacitidine in leukemia, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lymphoma · 2022TRANSFORM: What the Lymphoma Trial FoundTRANSFORM moved CAR T-cell therapy ahead of salvage chemotherapy and transplant for large B-cell lymphoma that fails or returns within a year. The interim result was striking and short.
- Biliary tract cancer · 2022TOPAZ-1: What the Biliary Tract Cancer Trial FoundTOPAZ-1 added durvalumab to gemcitabine and cisplatin for advanced biliary tract cancer — the first phase 3 trial in more than a decade to improve on that chemotherapy. Two-year survival more than doubled, from a low base.
- Breast cancer · 2018TAILORx: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundTAILORx tested chemotherapy guided by 21-gene recurrence score in breast cancer, measuring invasive disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2023SUNLIGHT: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundSUNLIGHT tested trifluridine/tipiracil + bevacizumab in colorectal cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Brain tumors · 2005Stupp Trial: What the Glioblastoma Trial FoundThe Stupp trial added temozolomide to radiotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Median survival rose from 12.1 to 14.6 months, and five-year survival from 1.9% to 9.8%. What that did and did not settle.
- Breast cancer · 2006STAR (P-2): What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundSTAR put tamoxifen and raloxifene head to head in nearly 20,000 postmenopausal women at raised risk of breast cancer. On invasive cancer they tied — and then longer follow-up unpicked the tie.
- Prostate cancer · 2017STAMPEDE: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundSTAMPEDE tested adding agents to standard hormone therapy in prostate cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Ovarian cancer · 2017SOLO-2: What the Ovarian Cancer Trial FoundSOLO-2 tested maintenance olaparib in recurrent ovarian cancer in ovarian cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Ovarian cancer · 2018SOLO-1: What the Ovarian Cancer Trial FoundSOLO-1 tested maintenance olaparib in BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer in ovarian cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2014SOFT/TEXT: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundSOFT/TEXT tested ovarian suppression added to endocrine therapy in breast cancer, measuring disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Liver cancer · 2008SHARP: What the Liver Cancer Trial FoundSHARP was the first trial to show that any drug taken by mouth extends life in advanced liver cancer. It also missed one of its two main measures. Both facts belong in the record.
- Prostate cancer · 2009SELECT: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundSELECT gave 35,533 healthy men selenium, vitamin E, both or neither. Vitamin E did not prevent prostate cancer. It raised the risk by 17%. What that finding does and does not cover.
- Breast cancer · 2020RxPONDER: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundRxPONDER tested chemotherapy by recurrence score in node-positive disease in breast cancer, measuring invasive disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Brain tumors · 2013RTOG 9402: What the Brain Tumors Trial FoundRTOG 9402 tested chemotherapy added to radiation in oligodendroglioma in brain tumors, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Leukemia · 2014RESONATE: What the Leukemia Trial FoundRESONATE tested ibrutinib vs ofatumumab in CLL in leukemia, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2015RECOURSE: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundRECOURSE tested trifluridine/tipiracil against placebo in colorectal cancer that had stopped responding to everything else. The survival gain was 1.8 months, and daily function held up longer.
- Leukemia · 2017RATIFY: What the Leukemia Trial FoundRATIFY tested midostaurin added to chemotherapy in FLT3 AML in leukemia, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Prostate cancer · 2016ProtecT: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundProtecT tested surgery vs radiation vs active monitoring in prostate cancer, measuring prostate-cancer mortality. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2023PROSPECT: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundPROSPECT tested giving chemotherapy alone before rectal cancer surgery, with radiation kept in reserve. Five-year results were no worse, and most people avoided pelvic radiation entirely.
- Prostate cancer · 2020PROfound: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundPROfound tested olaparib vs hormonal agent in HRR-mutated prostate cancer in prostate cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2014PROFILE 1014: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundPROFILE 1014 tested crizotinib vs chemotherapy in lung cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Pancreatic cancer · 2019POLO: What the Pancreatic Cancer Trial FoundPOLO tested maintenance olaparib in BRCA-mutated pancreatic cancer in pancreatic cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Multiple myeloma · 2016POLLUX: What the Multiple Myeloma Trial FoundPOLLUX added daratumumab to lenalidomide and dexamethasone in myeloma that had already relapsed. The effect at the interim analysis was large enough that the three-drug approach moved quickly into routine use.
- Cancer · 2011PLCO Screening Trial: What It FoundThe NCI's PLCO trial tested screening for prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer against usual care. Only sigmoidoscopy reduced deaths. The prostate and ovarian results surprised almost everyone.
- Prostate cancer · 2003PCPT: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundThe Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial gave finasteride to nearly 19,000 healthy men for seven years. It cut the number of cancers found by a quarter — and turned up more high-grade tumours, a finding that stopped the drug's use.
- Ovarian cancer · 2019PAOLA-1: What the Ovarian Cancer Trial FoundPAOLA-1 tested olaparib + bevacizumab maintenance in ovarian cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2015PALOMA-3: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundPALOMA-3 tested palbociclib + fulvestrant vs fulvestrant in breast cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2017PACIFIC: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundPACIFIC added a year of durvalumab after chemoradiation for stage III lung cancer that could not be operated on. It created a treatment step that had not existed before, in a setting where cure is still on the table.
- Cervical cancer · 2021OUTBACK: What the Cervical Cancer Trial FoundOUTBACK tested adjuvant chemotherapy after chemoradiation in cervical cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a negative or null result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Cancer · 2019OPTIMAL / stereotactic radiotherapy SABR-COMET: What the Cancer Trial FoundOPTIMAL / stereotactic radiotherapy SABR-COMET tested stereotactic radiotherapy for oligometastatic disease in cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2021OlympiA: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundOlympiA gave a year of olaparib after surgery and chemotherapy to people with inherited BRCA mutations and high-risk breast cancer. Fewer recurrences at the first analysis; a significant survival gain at the second, a year later.
- Breast cancer · 1998NSABP P-1 (Breast Cancer Prevention Trial): What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundNSABP P-1 (Breast Cancer Prevention Trial) tested tamoxifen vs placebo in breast cancer, measuring breast-cancer incidence. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2020NICHE: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundNICHE tested neoadjuvant immunotherapy in early colon cancer in colorectal cancer, measuring pathologic response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2020NELSON lung screening trial: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundNELSON screened current and former smokers with low-dose CT and measured nodules by volume rather than width. Fewer men died of lung cancer, and only 2.1% were sent for further investigation.
- Lung cancer · 2011National Lung Screening Trial (NLST): What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundThe National Lung Screening Trial screened 53,454 heavy smokers with low-dose CT or chest X-ray. It was the first study to show a screening test lowers lung-cancer deaths — and it came with a very high false-alarm rate.
- Leukemia · 2018MURANO: What the Leukemia Trial FoundMURANO tested venetoclax + rituximab vs chemo-immunotherapy in leukemia, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2022MOUNTAINEER: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundMOUNTAINEER tested tucatinib + trastuzumab in HER2-positive colorectal cancer in colorectal cancer, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2020monarchE: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundmonarchE tested adjuvant abemaciclib + endocrine therapy in breast cancer, measuring invasive disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2016MONALEESA-2: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundMONALEESA-2 reported early, before the ribociclib group had reached a median. Following the numbers across three publications shows how a trial result fills in over six years.
- Breast cancer · 2016MINDACT: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundMINDACT tested 70-gene signature to guide chemotherapy in breast cancer, measuring distant metastasis-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Multiple myeloma · 2019MAIA: What the Multiple Myeloma Trial FoundMAIA studied the myeloma patients most trials leave out — people too frail or too old for a stem-cell transplant. Adding daratumumab produced remissions deep enough to be undetectable, without a transplant.
- Lung cancer · 2013LUX-Lung 3: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundLUX-Lung 3 tested afatinib vs chemotherapy in lung cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2020LIBRETTO-001: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundLIBRETTO-001 tested selpercatinib in RET-fusion cancers in lung cancer, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Prostate cancer · 2017LATITUDE: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundLATITUDE tested abiraterone added to hormone therapy at the moment high-risk metastatic prostate cancer is diagnosed. The result ended the era of hormone therapy alone. Final survival figures included.
- Cervical cancer · 2021KEYNOTE-826: What the Cervical Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-826 added pembrolizumab to chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancer, the first real change in that setting for about a decade. Both of its main measures improved, in three populations tested one after another.
- Breast cancer · 2020KEYNOTE-522: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-522 added pembrolizumab to chemotherapy before surgery, then continued it after, in stage II and III triple-negative breast cancer. It had two primary endpoints, reported two years apart in two separate papers.
- Kidney cancer · 2019KEYNOTE-426: What the Kidney Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-426 paired pembrolizumab with axitinib against sunitinib in untreated advanced kidney cancer. The benefit held in favourable-risk patients too, which settled an argument about who should get immunotherapy first.
- Breast cancer · 2020KEYNOTE-355: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-355 tested pembrolizumab with chemotherapy in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The benefit showed up only in tumors with a PD-L1 score of 10 or more. Here is what each group saw.
- Lung cancer · 2018KEYNOTE-189: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundFive years after KEYNOTE-189 randomised its last patient, one in five people with metastatic non-squamous lung cancer on pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy were still alive. What that figure does and does not mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2020KEYNOTE-177: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-177 tested pembrolizumab vs chemo in MSI-high colorectal cancer in colorectal cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Cancer · 2020KEYNOTE-158: What the Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-158 tested pembrolizumab in tumor-mutational-burden-high cancers in cancer, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Head and neck cancer · 2019KEYNOTE-048: What the Head and Neck Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-048 compared pembrolizumab, alone or with chemotherapy, against a cetuximab regimen in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer. The results depend heavily on PD-L1 expression.
- Lung cancer · 2016KEYNOTE-024: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-024 gave pembrolizumab alone, with no chemotherapy, to people whose lung tumours were rich in PD-L1. Five years on, about a third were still alive — a figure that had no precedent in metastatic lung cancer.
- Melanoma · 2015KEYNOTE-006: What the Melanoma Trial FoundKEYNOTE-006 randomized 834 people with advanced melanoma. Median survival was 32.7 months on pembrolizumab versus 15.9 on ipilimumab, with less toxicity.
- Breast cancer · 2019KATHERINE: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundKATHERINE tested T-DM1 vs trastuzumab after residual disease in breast cancer, measuring invasive disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Multiple myeloma · 2021KarMMa: What the Multiple Myeloma Trial FoundKarMMa tested idecabtagene CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lymphoma · 2019JULIET: What the Lymphoma Trial FoundJULIET tested tisagenlecleucel in large B-cell lymphoma in lymphoma, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2009IPASS: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundIPASS showed that gefitinib helped one group of lung cancer patients and harmed another, and that clinical features could not tell them apart. It is why lung tumors are tested for EGFR mutations.
- Lung cancer · 2018IMpower150: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundIMpower150 added atezolizumab to bevacizumab and chemotherapy in metastatic non-squamous lung cancer. It is a three-arm trial reported two arms at a time, which is why the contribution of each drug is hard to pin down.
- Liver cancer · 2020IMbrave150: What the Liver Cancer Trial FoundIMbrave150 was the first trial in more than a decade to beat sorafenib in advanced liver cancer. It also added an endoscopy before treatment starts. What the atezolizumab and bevacizumab result shows.
- Colorectal cancer · 2018IDEA collaboration: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundThe IDEA collaboration pooled six trials to ask whether three months of chemotherapy after colon cancer surgery is enough. It missed its formal target and still changed practice. Here is how both are true.
- Ovarian cancer · 2019ICON8: What the Ovarian Cancer Trial FoundICON8 tested dose-dense vs standard chemotherapy in ovarian cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a negative or null result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2014IBIS-II: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundIBIS-II tested anastrozole vs placebo in breast cancer, measuring breast-cancer incidence. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Ovarian cancer · 2021GRIPPER / Gynecologic screening — UKCTOCS: What the Ovarian Cancer Trial FoundGRIPPER / Gynecologic screening — UKCTOCS tested ovarian-cancer screening vs no screening in ovarian cancer, measuring ovarian-cancer mortality. Plain-language summary of a negative or null result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Ovarian cancer · 2011GOG-218: What the Ovarian Cancer Trial FoundGOG-218 added bevacizumab to chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer. It delayed progression by about four months (14.1 vs 10.3 months) but did not help women live longer. What that difference means.
- Lymphoma · 2017GALLIUM: What the Lymphoma Trial FoundGALLIUM tested obinutuzumab vs rituximab in lymphoma, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Stomach cancer · 2019FLOT4: What the Stomach Cancer Trial FoundFLOT4 tested perioperative FLOT vs ECF/ECX in stomach cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2018FLAURA: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundFLAURA compared osimertinib with the older EGFR pills as first treatment for EGFR-mutated lung cancer. It nearly doubled the time before the cancer grew; the survival gain arrived three years later and only just reached the mark.
- Colorectal cancer · 2006EORTC 22921: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundEORTC 22921 tested chemoradiation timing in rectal cancer in colorectal cancer, measuring local control. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2012EMILIA: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundEMILIA showed in 2012 that an antibody-drug conjugate could beat a targeted drug plus chemotherapy on both progression and survival, with fewer severe side effects. Newer drugs have since moved past it.
- Breast cancer · 2018EMBRACA: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundEMBRACA compared talazoparib, a daily pill, with chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer driven by an inherited BRCA mutation. It bought time and better reported wellbeing. The final analysis found no difference in survival.
- Leukemia · 2018ELIANA: What the Leukemia Trial FoundELIANA tested tisagenlecleucel CAR T-cell therapy in leukemia, measuring remission rate. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Melanoma · 1996ECOG E1684: What the Melanoma Trial FoundECOG E1684 tested high-dose interferon adjuvant therapy in melanoma, measuring relapse-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Multiple myeloma · 2022DETERMINATION: What the Multiple Myeloma Trial FoundDETERMINATION tested early vs delayed transplant in multiple myeloma, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2022DESTINY-Lung01: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundDESTINY-Lung01 tested trastuzumab deruxtecan in HER2-mutant lung cancer, a group with no targeted option at the time. Just over half of tumours shrank — and a quarter of patients developed drug-related lung inflammation.
- Stomach cancer · 2020DESTINY-Gastric01: What the Stomach Cancer Trial FoundDESTINY-Gastric01 tested trastuzumab deruxtecan vs chemotherapy in stomach cancer, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2021DESTINY-CRC01: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundDESTINY-CRC01 tested trastuzumab deruxtecan in HER2-positive colorectal cancer in colorectal cancer, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2022DESTINY-Breast04: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundDESTINY-Breast04 tested trastuzumab deruxtecan in breast cancers with only low levels of HER2. It created a treatment category that did not exist before, and it carries a serious lung risk.
- Lung cancer · 2020CROWN: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundCROWN tested lorlatinib vs crizotinib in lung cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Esophageal cancer · 2012CROSS: What the Esophageal Cancer Trial FoundCROSS tested neoadjuvant chemoradiation vs surgery alone in esophageal cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2013CORRECT: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundCORRECT tested regorafenib vs placebo in colorectal cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Melanoma · 2015COMBI-d: What the Melanoma Trial FoundCOMBI-d tested dabrafenib + trametinib vs dabrafenib in melanoma, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2021CodeBreaK 100: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundCodeBreaK 100 tested sotorasib, the first drug to hit KRAS G12C, in advanced lung cancer. About one in three tumours shrank in a single-arm study with no comparison group — enough to open a drug class, not to prove superiority.
- Leukemia · 2019CLL14: What the Leukemia Trial FoundCLL14 tested venetoclax + obinutuzumab, fixed duration in leukemia, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2012CLEOPATRA: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundCLEOPATRA tested pertuzumab added to trastuzumab + docetaxel in breast cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2020CheckMate 9LA: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundCheckMate 9LA tested two immune drugs plus a deliberately short course of chemotherapy — two cycles, not four — as first treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. People lived longer, at a cost in side effects.
- Stomach cancer · 2021CheckMate 649: What the Stomach Cancer Trial FoundCheckMate 649 tested nivolumab + chemo vs chemo in stomach cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Esophageal cancer · 2021CheckMate 577: What the Esophageal Cancer Trial FoundCheckMate 577 built a treatment for a gap in the pathway: people whose oesophageal cancer was still present in the specimen after chemoradiation and surgery. A year of nivolumab roughly doubled the time before recurrence.
- Kidney cancer · 2018CheckMate 214: What the Kidney Cancer Trial FoundCheckMate 214 tested nivolumab + ipilimumab vs sunitinib in kidney cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Head and neck cancer · 2016CheckMate 141: What the Head and Neck Cancer Trial FoundCheckMate 141 tested nivolumab against the doctor's choice of chemotherapy in head and neck cancer that returned soon after platinum. People lived longer while their scans showed no delay in tumour growth at all.
- Melanoma · 2015CheckMate 067: What the Melanoma Trial FoundCheckMate 067 tested nivolumab ± ipilimumab vs ipilimumab in melanoma, measuring progression-free and overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Kidney cancer · 2015CheckMate 025: What the Kidney Cancer Trial FoundCheckMate 025 compared nivolumab with everolimus in advanced kidney cancer. People lived longer on the immune drug even though their scans showed no delay in tumour growth — a mismatch that changed how such trials are read.
- Prostate cancer · 2015CHAARTED: What the Prostate Cancer Trial FoundCHAARTED moved chemotherapy to the start of treatment for metastatic prostate cancer instead of holding it back. The first report showed 13.6 extra months; longer follow-up narrowed that to men with more extensive disease.
- Colorectal cancer · 2022Cercek dostarlimab MMR-deficient rectal cancer: What the Colorectal cancer Trial FoundCercek dostarlimab MMR-deficient rectal cancer tested dostarlimab in mismatch-repair-deficient rectal cancer in colorectal cancer, measuring clinical complete response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Multiple myeloma · 2019CASSIOPEIA: What the Multiple Myeloma Trial FoundCASSIOPEIA tested daratumumab added to transplant regimen in multiple myeloma, measuring stringent complete response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Multiple myeloma · 2021CARTITUDE-1: What the Multiple Myeloma Trial FoundCARTITUDE-1 tested ciltacabtagene CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma, measuring objective response. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Colorectal cancer · 2011CAPP2: What the Colorectal Cancer Trial FoundCAPP2 tested aspirin in Lynch syndrome in colorectal cancer, measuring colorectal-cancer incidence. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2003CALGB 9741: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundCALGB 9741 tested dose-dense adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer, measuring disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2005BIG 1-98: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundBIG 1-98 tested letrozole vs tamoxifen in breast cancer, measuring disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a positive result on its main measure — and what it doesn't mean.
- Esophageal cancer · 2021KEYNOTE-590: What the Esophageal Cancer Trial FoundKEYNOTE-590 added pembrolizumab to first-line chemotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer. People lived longer on average, but most of the gain sat in tumors with a high PD-L1 score. Here is what the numbers show.
- Breast cancer · 2005ATAC: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundATAC tested anastrozole vs tamoxifen in breast cancer, measuring disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2021ASCENT: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundASCENT tested sacituzumab govitecan vs chemotherapy in breast cancer, measuring progression-free and overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Breast cancer · 2017APHINITY: What the Breast Cancer Trial FoundAPHINITY added pertuzumab to standard treatment after surgery for HER2-positive breast cancer. It cleared its bar by a hair, and the benefit belonged almost entirely to women whose lymph nodes were involved.
- Lung cancer · 2017ALEX: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundALEX tested alectinib vs crizotinib in ALK-positive lung cancer in lung cancer, measuring progression-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Lung cancer · 2020ADAURA: What the Lung Cancer Trial FoundADAURA tested adjuvant osimertinib vs placebo in lung cancer, measuring disease-free survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
- Biliary tract cancer · 2010ABC-02: What the Biliary Tract Cancer Trial FoundABC-02 tested cisplatin + gemcitabine in biliary cancer in Biliary tract cancer, measuring overall survival. Plain-language summary of a result widely described as practice-influencing — and what it doesn't mean.
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