Oncology Conference Spotlight: New Research Results From Baylor Scott & White Health

Baylor Scott & White Health is advancing cancer care by showcasing its innovative clinical trial portfolio at major oncology conferences.

2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas (Baylor Dallas), part of Baylor Scott & White Health, will present posters and oral presentations at the prestigious May 30th to June 2nd 2025 ASCO annual meeting in Chicago, IL. Key presentations include:

Gastroesophageal cancer

Ronan Kelly, MD, MBA, chief of oncology at Baylor Scott & White North Texas and director of the Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center will present the first overall survival results from the landmark CheckMate 577 trial of adjuvant nivolumab in resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer at the oral abstract session for GI malignancies on May 31st (abstract 4000). This significant oral presentation was selected as one of best abstracts of the ASCO Meeting by the Best of ASCO committee.

Dr. Kelly will also present new findings from a multicenter phase I/II study of the CDK 4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib and the VEGFR2 antagonist ramucirumab in metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (abstract 4063).

Breast Cancer

Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD, the Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Baylor Dallas, will present new safety results from the EMBER-3 trial of the selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) imlunestrant with or without abemaciclib in advanced breast cancer (abstract 1060) and the HERTHENA-Breast03 trial (abstract TPS629) of neoadjuvant patritumab deruxtecan plus pembrolizumab for early-stage breast cancers.

Texas Cancer Interception Institute (TCII) Innovations

Four presentations involving Dr. Kelly will highlight the TCII’s pioneering work in early cancer detection, using advanced technologies such as machine learning for evaluation of CT scans (abstract 1559), multiplex blood biomarker screening in the Texas Multi-Cancer Early Detection (Texas MCED) program (abstract TPS11189), cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for treatment monitoring (abstract 2550), and plasma proteomics (abstract 8579). 

“The TCII is developing into a powerful engine of discovery for early cancer detection, and it is attracting huge interest from industry and academia alike,” says Dr. Kelly. “There is tremendous potential for new technologies to radically improve our ability to diagnose and treat cancers earlier, when treatments are most effective.”

ASCO presentations with contributing authors on the medical staff at Baylor Dallas:

• Houston Holmes,  ALPHA3: A pivotal phase 2 study of first-line (1L) consolidation with cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (cema-cel) in patients (pts) with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) and minimal residual disease (MRD). Abstract TPS7085
• Ronan Kelly (presenter), Adjuvant nivolumab in resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer (EC/GEJC) following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT): First results of overall survival (OS) from CheckMate 577. Abstract 4000
• Ronan Kelly (presenter), Andrew Paulson, A. David McCollum, Multicenter phase I/II study of abemaciclib and ramucirumab in metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA): CDK4/6 and cyclin D1 alterations as a predictor of response and survival. Abstract 4063
• Ronan Kelly (presenter), Falcon: Exact Sciences’ multicancer early detection (MCED) real world evidence (RWE) registry. Abstract TPS11189
• Ronan Kelly (presenter), Association of deep learning CT response assessment and interpretable components with overall survival in advanced NSCLC: Validation in a trial of sasanlimab and a real-world dataset. Abstract 1559
• Ronan Kelly, Longitudinal tumor-informed cfDNA whole genome sequencing to capture residual disease during neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition in resectable gastroesophageal cancer. Abstract 2550
• Ronan Kelly, Longitudinal plasma proteomic analysis: A monitoring strategy for NSCLC patients treated with immunotherapy. Abstract 8579
• Vani Konda, Repurposing itraconazole for secondary prevention of metaplasia and primary prevention of cancer in patients with high-risk Barrett's esophagus in combination with ablation. Abstract TPS4212
• Kartik Konduri, A phase 1/2 clinical trial of quaratusugene ozeplasmid gene therapy and atezolizumab maintenance therapy in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Abstract TPS8126
• Moshe Yair Levy, Efficacy and safety of asciminib (ASC) in patients (pts) with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) after 1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI): Interim analysis (IA) of the phase 2 ASC2ESCALATE trial. Abstract 6516
• Joyce O’Shaughnessy (presenter), Imlunestrant with or without abemaciclib in advanced breast cancer (ABC): Safety analyses from the phase III EMBER-3 trial. Abstract 1063
• Joyce O’Shaughnessy (presenter), HERTHENA-Breast03: A phase 2, randomized, open-label study evaluating neoadjuvant patritumab deruxtecan plus pembrolizumab before or after pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) or hormone receptor (HR)-low+/HER2− breast cancer. Abstract TPS629
• Joyce O’Shaughnessy, Transcriptomic biomarkers of therapeutic response to antibody-drug conjugates in metastatic breast cancer: A comprehensive multi-center study. Abstract 1041
• Joyce O’Shaughnessy, Initial phase 1 dose escalation data for emiltatug ledadotin (Emi-Le), a novel B7-H4-directed dolasynthen antibody-drug conjugate. Abstract 3009
• Andrew Paulson, ARTEMIDE-Gastric01: A phase 3 randomized study of rilvegostomig with fluoropyrimidine and trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) as first-line (1L) treatment for locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC). Abstract TPS4204

Recent Conference Highlights 

2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS)

Dr. O’Shaughnessy presented research findings and educational material at SABCS in December 2024. 

• KEYNOTE-522:
  A late-breaking oral presentation (abstract LB1-07) revealed new biomarker results from this practice-changing trial of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab with chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone in patients with high-risk, early TNBC. According to Dr. O’Shaughnessy, Baylor Dallas site investigator and senior author for KEYNOTE-522, “All the groups showed benefit from pembrolizumab, which strengthens the original findings. However, these results start to provide insight into who will benefit the most from pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy.
• FLEX registry trial:
  This prospective study intends to enroll 30,000 women with early breast cancer and follow them for 10 years. Dr. O’Shaughnessy, the nationwide principal investigator for the FLEX registry, described new results from FLEX registry trial (abstract PS4-04). “We have identified a subgroup of patients who may benefit more than others from neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which can help us develop targeted breast cancer therapies.

2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting

There were multiple presentations at the December 2024 ASH Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA with contributing authors on the medical staff at Baylor Dallas.

• Bradley Christensen, Phase 2a Study of SLS009, a Highly Selective CDK9 Inhibitor, in Combination with Azacitidine and Venetoclax for Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Prior Venetoclax Treatment.
• Houston Holmes, ALPHA3, a Pivotal Phase 2 Study of First-Line Consolidation with Cemacabtagene Ansegedleucel (Cema-Cel) in Patients with Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Minimal Residual Disease after Response to Standard Therapy.
• Moshe Yair Levy, Efficacy and Safety of Asciminib in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase (CML-CP): Interim Results from the Phase 2 ASC2ESCALATE Trial in the Cohort of Patients (Pts) after 1 Prior Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI).
• Moshe Yair Levy, Zanubrutinib is Well Tolerated and Effective in Acalabrutinib-Intolerant Patients with B-cell Malignancies.
• Moshe Yair Levy, Real-World Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Patients with Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia Treated with Avatrombopag in the United States: Real-AVA 2.0 Interim Analysis Results.
• Edward Pearson, PF-08046040 (SEA-CD70), a Nonfucosylated CD70-Directed Antibody, in Combination with Azacitidine for Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS): A Phase 1 Dose-Finding and Dose Expansion Study.
• Luis Pineiro, Reni-Cel, an Investigational AsCas12a Gene-Edited Cell Medicine, Led to Sustained Hemoglobin Normalization and Increased Fetal Hemoglobin in Patients with Severe Sickle Cell Disease Treated in the RUBY Trial.