Select updates from ASCO and ESMO 2024 for gastrointestinal cancer care - review of selected trials

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Noah

Gastrointestinal malignancies continue to drive substantial cancer mortality worldwide, and outcomes for advanced or metastatic disease remain poor despite ongoing improvements in care. A 2024 review of selected ASCO and ESMO Annual Meeting updates summarizes clinically relevant phase II/III trial results spanning early detection, perioperative management, metastatic treatment, and the evolving role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in GI cancers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Materials and Methods

Results

Perioperative management and emerging paradigms

Immune checkpoint inhibitors and localized treatments

Conclusions

Implications for Practice

Introduction

Table 1: Selected recent studies in GI cancer presented at ASCO and/or ESMO 2024

Select updates from ASCO and ESMO 2024 for gastrointestinal cancer care Tim Jang*, 1,2,, George P. Kim1,2, Thomas J. George1,2, 1University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States 2Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States *Corresponding author: Tim Jang, MD, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA ([Tim.Jang@medicine.ufl.edu](Tim.Jang@medicine.ufl.edu)) . Abstract Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies remain the culprit behind a substantial portion of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and outcomes for patients with advanced or metastatic GI cancers remain poor despite continued efforts to improve care. In 2024, the ongoing clinical trials to optimize and improve GI cancer care showcased progress in molecular diagnostics, systemic therapies, and localized treatment approaches, providing hope for continued progress toward improved patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: This review summarizes selected updates in GI cancer care from the 2024 ASCO and ESMO Annual Meetings, including both positive and negative trials that, while not universally practice-changing, contribute to shaping GI cancer care, clinical management, or address key questions in the field. The selected trials cover early detection and diagnostic advances, perioperative management, metastatic disease management, and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)’s emerging role in GI cancer. Results: Various clinical trials in perioperative management and their results continue to reshape or strengthen the current treatment paradigms. The use of ICIs for microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer (CRC) presented a notable advancement with the potential to improve patient outcomes. Localized treatments such as thermal ablation appear to benefit some patients with CRC and liver metastases. Conclusions: The collection of trial results presented at the 2024 ASCO and ESMO Annual Meetings denote the ongoing efforts of the medical and scientific community for optimizing GI cancer care. The ongoing efforts of the GI cancer research and patient community provide hope for continued progress toward improved patient outcomes and new standards of care. Key words: ASCO Annual Meeting; gastrointestinal malignancy; ESMO Congress; colorectal cancer; esophagogastric cancer; circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA); clinical trials. Implications for Practice This review summarizes key updates from selected phase II/III trials presented at the 2024 ASCO and ESMO Annual Meetings. This review includes both positive and negative trials that, while not universally practice-changing, contribute to shaping gastrointestinal (GI) cancer care, clinical management, or address key questions in the field. We believe that this review will serve as a clinical resource covering some of the latest GI cancer trial results and their potential implications in current GI cancer care. Introduction Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies represent nearly a dozen different cancers and various tumor histologies originating within the digestive tract system. They remain one of the prime causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide.1 In 2024, it was estimated that there would be over 350 000 new diagnoses of GI cancers in the United States alone, with more than 170 000 deaths from GI malignancies.2 The dismal reality is that prognosis remains guarded for patients with advanced or metastatic disease given their poor overall survival.3,4 The collaborative efforts of investigators conducting clinical trials have sought ways to enhance early detection, improve localized treatments, and develop more effective systemic therapies. This review provides a concise summary of ongoing investigations in the field that were presented at the 2024 ASCO and ESMO Annual Meetings. In selecting the trials for this review, we prioritized primarily phase II/III studies presented or publishe

FAQs

What clinical areas do the selected 2024 ASCO and ESMO updates cover for gastrointestinal cancer care?

They cover early detection and diagnostic advances, perioperative management, metastatic disease management, and the emerging role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in GI cancers.

How do the findings described for immune checkpoint inhibitors affect colorectal cancer treatment?

Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer is highlighted as a notable advancement with potential to improve outcomes.

What does the review say about localized treatment options such as thermal ablation?

Localized treatments like thermal ablation appear to benefit some patients with colorectal cancer and liver metastases, with trial results indicating noninferiority versus surgical resection for selected cases.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Noah