Beyond the Headlines: What ASCO 2025 Taught Us About the Future of Cancer Care

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) once again highlighted the remarkable momentum of innovation and the urgent demand for advancement in cancer research. This year’s meeting further highlighted the rapid evolution of oncology, with a strong emphasis on immunotherapies and Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), biomarker-driven strategies, and patient-centered care. The theme, “Driving Knowledge to Action: Building a Better Future” was woven throughout the presentations and discussions, reflecting a holistic approach to advancing outcomes across tumor types.

As a CRO dedicated to accelerating and optimizing oncology drug development, we dispatched a multidisciplinary team of experts—spanning medical, scientific, and operational domains—to ASCO 2025. Here is what captured their attention and how it could shape the future of clinical trial execution

Immunotherapy Moves Upstream in GI Cancers

One of the most striking shifts at ASCO 2025 was the expanding role of immunotherapy in early-stage gastrointestinal cancers. Once reserved for advanced or refractory disease, checkpoint inhibitors are now making their way into curative-intent settings—particularly in gastric and colorectal cancers. The MATTERHORN trial and the ATOMIC study didn’t just make headlines—they challenged long-held treatment paradigms.[1][2]

What this means:

We may soon see curative-intent pathways reshaped by checkpoint inhibitors. But with that comes the need for earlier biomarker testing, tighter surgical timelines, and cross-specialty coordination.

ADCs and Targeted Innovation

ADCs remained a strong focus across tumor types. Agents targeting HER2-low and TROP2-expressing tumors showed promising signals, potentially expanding access to precision therapies. We used to talk about ADCs as niche players. Now they’re at the center of the room—pivoting tumor types, redefining “targetability,” and challenging traditional lines of therapy.

Trials like Destiny-Gastric04 and Veritac-2 highlighted ADCs’ potential in breast, gastric, and lung cancers, with ENHERTU®and TRODELVY™ advancing treatments for HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancers as well as TROP2-expressing tumors.[3][4]

Bispecific antibodies were another highlight at ASCO 2025, offering a novel approach to immune engagement. Trials like COMPASSION-16 (cadonilimab in cervical cancer) and early data on IBI363 (PD-1/IL-2) in lung cancer showed promising efficacy, suggesting bispecifics may overcome resistance and broaden immunotherapy’s reach. [5][6]

What this means:

More patients are now candidates for precision therapies, even those previously considered untargetable. Moreover, ADCs are evaluated with successful results in earlier settings. A good example is the HERTHENA-Lung02 trial with Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), that showed a superiority compared with standard of care chemotherapy for treatment-resistant EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer. [7]

ctDNA & MRD: Are We Ready to Act on It?

Liquid biopsies for minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring were heavily featured across multiple solid tumor tracks. What was once a futuristic concept is now edging closer to clinical reality, with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) emerging as a powerful tool to guide treatment decisions in both adjuvant and surveillance settings. MRD-guided strategies were prominently featured in colorectal and lung cancer sessions, with oncologists increasingly advocating for ctDNA-informed decisions—not just to escalate therapy, but also to de-escalate when appropriate.

What this means:

We’re moving toward molecularly guided treatment after surgery, where decisions are based more on tumor DNA footprints than on imaging or clinical risk factors alone. This could lead to more personalized adjuvant therapy—treating only those who truly need it, earlier detection of recurrence, potentially before radiographic evidence appears and reduced overtreatment, sparing patients unnecessary toxicity.

While liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive and promising approach, it remains under investigation. Key questions persist around:

• The optimal assay platforms and their standardization
• Tumor types and stages where ctDNA is most informative
• The sensitivity and false-negative rates, especially in low-shedding tumors

Ongoing trials are expected to clarify these parameters and help define the clinical utility of MRD-guided strategies across broader oncology practice.

Quality of Life: From Abstract to Actionable

Several sessions elevated survivorship from a supporting topic to a strategic one. One of the most compelling presentations came from a Phase III trial showing that moderate physical activity significantly reduced the risk of recurrence and death in colon cancer survivors. This wasn’t just a lifestyle suggestion—it was a survival strategy. [8]

What this means:

Shifting the paradigm: The future of cancer care will be measured not just in months of survival, but in years of meaningful living. Survivorship is no longer an afterthought—it’s integrated into the continuum of care. As therapies get more complex, patients’ lives post-treatment can’t be secondary. Real-world data, PROs, and wellness interventions are now center stage.

Equity, Access & Global Oncology

Despite driving cancer innovation, clinical trials remain out of reach for many due to systemic, socioeconomic, and geographic barriers. ASCO 2025’s Equity and Inclusion Track spotlighted real-world solutions—from community-based enrollment to mobile diagnostics in underserved areas—underscoring a key message: innovation without access is incomplete.

What this means:

Equity requires more than intention—it demands infrastructure, policy, and urgency. There’s growing momentum for decentralized trials, culturally responsive care, and global partnerships to ensure breakthroughs benefit all patients, not just those in high-income settings.

Artificial Intelligence in Oncology

Finally, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a widely discussed topic with growing impact across diagnostics, treatment planning, and trial design. AI-enhanced IHC scoring improved detection of HER2-low breast cancers, while tools for TROP2 assessment in lung cancer supported better ADC targeting. In trials, AI is enabling smarter patient selection and adaptive designs.

What this means:

AI is no longer experimental—it’s becoming essential. As validation grows, AI will help deliver more precise, equitable, and efficient cancer care, accelerating the shift toward truly personalized oncology.

ASCO 2025 wasn’t just a showcase of scientific progress—it was a call to rethink how we deliver cancer care. From the rise of immunotherapy in early-stage disease to the expanding role of ctDNA, ADCs, and survivorship strategies, the meeting made one thing clear: the future of oncology is not only about innovation, but integration.

But progress doesn’t happen in the plenary hall alone. It happens when clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and partners like Fortrea take these insights and translate them into action—in clinics, communities, and care systems around the world.

Reference Appendix

1. MATTERHORN Trial
2. ATOMIC Study
3. DESTINY-Gastric04
4. VERITAC-2
5. COMPASSION-16
6. IBI363
7. HERTHENA-Lung02
8. CHALLENGE Trial
9. ENHERTU® (Trastuzumab deruxtecan): Daiichi Sankyo & AstraZeneca
10. TRODELVY™ (Sacituzumab govitecan-hziy): Gilead Sciences
11. HER3-DXd (Patritumab deruxtecan): Daiichi Sankyo/Merck (investigational)
12. Cadonilimab (AK104): Akeso Biopharma
13. IBI363: Innovent Biologics (investigational)