Maliha Nusrat

So fortunate to have witnessed this historic moment! Kudos to the chemists, biologists, clinical investigators, investors, advocates who persevered over decades - an inspiration to researchers everywhere and a hope for the patients 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Yesterday, we were thrilled to reunite with Winn Career Development Award alumni, scholars, and funding partners at #ASCO2026 in Chicago! It was a truly special opportunity to come together and celebrate the impact we are collectively making in communities across the nation.

What an inspiring night seeing my mentor @skopetz receive 2026 Giants in Cancer Care award, and listening to him share what inspires him. His tireless efforts have changed the standard of care treatment for patients with CRC multiple times, and more work is ongoing. Congrats!

A 𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧 is a novel peptide that is derived from a somatic variant in a tumor cell and can be recognized as “nonself” by T cells. Neoantigens are tumor-specific and have not been encountered during thymic T-cell development and are therefore not subject to central tolerance. To learn more about this NEJM Illustrated Glossary term, read the Clinical Implications of Basic Research article “Understanding How Aspirin Prevents Metastasis” by Ruth E. Langley, MB, BS, PhD, and John Burn, MD, from University College London and @uniofnewcastle: nej.md/4pTzyaw Explore more terms: nej.md/glossary

🔥10 Must-Read Posts in GI Oncology | Last week of February Updates across gastroesophageal (gastric/GEJ), PDAC, CRC, BTC, and esophageal cancer—spanning guidelines, translational profiling, real-world data, and surgical perspectives. • FGFR inhibitors in cholangiocarcinoma (FGFR2, resistance, cfDNA) • ASCO guideline update: advanced gastroesophageal cancer (HER2/PD-L1/MSI-MMR/CLDN18.2) • KEYNOTE585: early endpoints in periop pembro+chemo (gastric/GEJ) • JCOG0603: adjuvant chemo vs hepatectomy alone (CRC liver mets) • SUNLIGHT: FTD–TPI+bev vs FTD–TPI (mCRC) • Stage-resolved transcriptomic atlas of PDAC progression • CGD-treated BTC: metastatic-site prognostic analysis • Feeding adjuncts in oesophagogastric cancer resection • Radiation oncology update (Marburg Ion-Beam Therapy Center) • Rare pathogenic variants in esophageal cancer markers (computational study) Takeaway: Biomarkers, stage-aware biology, and real-world validation continue to shape GI oncology practice. @NelsonDusetti @KoheiShitara @ErulEnes @Sarbaji85064063 @casadei_gardini oncodaily.com/oncolibrary/10… #GIOncology #Cholangiocarcinoma #GastricCancer #PancreaticCancer #CRC #EsophagealCancer #PrecisionOncology #BiliaryTractCancer #GEJ

🔥𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 GI 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 — 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 February brought important advances across all stages of colorectal cancer — from screening to biomarker-driven metastatic care. Key highlights • Phase III CONVERT (MRI-selected LARC) • Real-world FTD–TPI + bevacizumab validation • SCREESCO screening RCT update • Liver metastases as negative predictor for ICI in MSS mCRC • FDA approval: encorafenib triplet (1L BRAF V600E mCRC) • FDA Fast Track: pelareorep (2L KRAS-mut MSS) • SPC risks in non-hereditary CRC survivors • JSKN003 Phase III (HER2+ CRC) • ABACO Phase II (cabozantinib, refractory MSS mCRC) • Inferior post-metastasectomy outcomes in early-onset CRC Precision CRC care continues to evolve. @oncodaily @skopetz @CathyEngMD @TaberneroJosep @FilippoPietran4 @sara_lonardi1 @ChiaraCrem1 @TarazonaNoelia 👉 oncodaily.com/oncolibrary/co… #ColorectalCancer #GIOncology #mCRC #PrecisionOncology

How do patients with mCRC and ECOG PS2 tolerate FTD-TPI+bev? We found that outcomes and AEs of patients with PS2 and PS 0-1 were comparable in real-world data and in pooled data from TASCO1 and SOLSTICE trials. @JCOOA_ASCO #CRC ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/OA…

@sonbol_bassam We did not explore further by prior bev exposure within age subgroups or for Black patients

@sonbol_bassam Thanks, Bassam! Exploratory results by prior bev exposure and by age categories in the overall unmatched cohort are in the supplement on page 3. With prior bev, rwOS was 8.4m in FTD-TPI+bev group. The outcomes in 639 Black patients start on page 7 of the manuscript.

Our analysis of a heterogeneous US-based real world dataset shows longer OS with FTD–TPI+bevacizumab vs FTD–TPI in patients with metastatic CRC, similar to the results of the phase 3 SUNLIGHT trial. #NEJMEvidence #CRC evidence.nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

Sharing insights on the management of ultra-rare metastatic mucinous tailgut cyst adenocarcinoma. We pursued patient-oriented biomedical science for one patient, because every patient matters. frontiersin.org/journals/oncol…

Congrats to Dr. @debschrag, the Department of Medicine's fearless leader, on being elected as the 2027–2028 @ASCO President! She has devoted her career to accelerating progress for people with #cancer, and we can't wait to witness the amazing things she will do next. #oncology

I am excited to share our framework, challenges and solutions for decentralizing a phase 1 clinical trial throughout our regional care network. #OneMSK It’s feasible and saves a ton of valuable patient time. #ASCOQLTY25 Poster B11. ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/OP… @WinnAwards

Tumor inflammation predicts better response to nivolumab alone in MSI-H CRC, while high mutational burden predicts benefit from nivolumab + ipilimumab. Our Nat Comm paper dives into CM142 and PD1 ± CTLA4 predictors with lead of @michael_overman. rdcu.be/eJHmS #crcsm

Strong @AKUGlobal representation @ASCO 25! @SyedKazmiMD @ShaalanBeg @malihanusr @NausheenAhmedMD @pashtoonkasi @SeharVirani @shameel_shafqat and others!

Congratulations to our team. Next chapter in Nonoperative Management of Mismatch Repair–Deficient Tumors | New England Journal of Medicine nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NE…

BREAKWATER Ph3 showing an incredible improvement in ORR by 21% and doubling of the duration of response with the addition of FOLFOX to enco+cetux in BRAFV600E MT CRC. 👏🏻🙌🏻 Congrats to my forever mentor @skopetz for changing the standard of care in 1L CRC!!#ASCOGI25 @FightCRC

FDA grants accelerated approval to encorafenib with cetuximab and mFOLFOX6 for metastatic colorectal cancer with a BRAF V600E mutation fda.gov/drugs/resource… #OCENewsBurst

Neoadjuvant botensilimab + balstilimab in MSI & MSS CRC #ESMOGI24 🔎NEST clinical trial, 20 MSS, 3 MSI 👉pMSS: 50% cPCR rate 🧐Really active in MSI & MSS CRC #ESMOAmbassadors @myESMO

📢Adjuvant celecoxib in PIK3CA-Activated Stage III Colon Cancer ➡️Alliance trial update ➡️Compared to wild-type tumors, ✅DFS: aHR: 0.56 (0.33 to 0.96) ✅OS: aHR: 0.44 (0.22 to 0.85) 👉doi.org/10.1200/JCO.23… @JCO_ASCO @JCOPO_ASCO @JCOOP_ASCO @GlobalCRC @CCAlliance @OncoAlert #oncology #cancer #colorectal #MedX