Plain language summary
ESMO 2026: Key lung cancer highlights
A collection of key updates in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from ESMO 2026
Event
New lung cancer treatment findings from the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2026
Medthority
Key takeaways
- DeLLphi-305 demonstrated significant survival improvements with tarlatamab plus durvalumab as first-line maintenance therapy in ES-SCLC
- Krascendo-1 showed significantly improved progression-free and overall survival with divarasib versus sotorasib or adagrasib in previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC
- Research is evaluating targeted approaches for KRAS G12D-mutated NSCLC, where no targeted therapies are currently approved
- ASTRIDE provided US-specific data broadly consistent with previous findings for serplulimab in ES-SCLC
What is it about?
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 presented new findings across treatment settings in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Highlights included advances in maintenance treatment for extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC), developments in therapies targeting specific KRAS mutations in NSCLC, and new evidence for first-line immunotherapy approaches in ES-SCLC.
The phase 3 DeLLphi-305 trial compared tarlatamab plus durvalumab with durvalumab alone as first-line maintenance therapy in people with ES-SCLC whose disease had not progressed following initial chemoimmunotherapy. Additional long-term data from the DeLLphi-304 and DeLLphi-303 studies provided further evidence on tarlatamab in different ES-SCLC treatment settings.
In NSCLC, the phase 3 Krascendo-1 trial directly compared the next-generation KRAS G12C inhibitor divarasib with existing KRAS G12C-targeted treatments. Meanwhile, the ASTRIDE study compared serplulimab plus chemotherapy with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for ES-SCLC in a US population.
Why is it important?
Lung cancer remains an area in which improving survival and expanding effective treatment choices are important clinical goals. The findings presented at ESMO 2026 provide new evidence across both small-cell and non–small-cell lung cancer.
In DeLLphi-305, tarlatamab plus durvalumab significantly improved overall survival compared with durvalumab alone, with median overall survival increasing from 12.7 to 21.1 months. Progression-free survival and response rates were also significantly improved.
Krascendo-1 showed that divarasib significantly improved progression-free survival, overall survival, and response rates compared with sotorasib or adagrasib in previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC. Research is ongoing into targeted approaches for KRAS G12D-mutated NSCLC, for which no targeted therapies are currently approved.
ASTRIDE provided additional evidence in ES-SCLC, with serplulimab plus chemotherapy associated with numerically longer overall survival than atezolizumab plus chemotherapy. Importantly, the study was designed as a descriptive US bridging study and was not intended to establish superiority or non-inferiority.
Resources5 total
- Plain language summary
ESMO 2026: New insights into tarlatamab for ES-SCLC
Review DeLLphi-305 and additional tarlatamab findings in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer presented at ESMO 2026.
