Top 10 cancer research discoveries of 2025

Below, we feature 10 cancer research advances during 2025 that captured attention across the scientific and patient advocacy communities. The discoveries are from the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) and PrECOG, our related organization. Click on the links to learn more.

Breast Cancer – New AI tools better predict the risk of breast cancer returning 

Fear of recurrence is a major concern among the more than 4.3 million women in the United States who have a history of breast cancer. Researchers shared early results from a new collaboration between ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences. Their goal is to develop new tests to predict if breast cancer is likely to come back. Such tests are available today, but they are not very good at predicting long-term risk beyond 10, 15, or even 20+ years after treatment.

The new tests being developed by ECOG-ACRIN and Caris combine Caris' advanced tumor testing technologies with artificial intelligence (AI). These tests are not quite ready for doctors’ offices–more research is needed. But once finalized, they could help doctors and patients create more personalized treatment plans than what is available today. Click here to read our feature story about this new research. 

Breast Cancer – Better scans help track breast cancer that has spread to the bones

Some breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body (becomes metastatic). One type goes mainly, or even only, to the bones. Regular scans do not work well because they cannot show whether the treatment is working in the bones. This makes it hard for doctors to track treatment progress in these patients. The FEATURE trial showed that a type of scan called FDG-PET/CT can detect changes in cancer activity in the bones as soon as 12 weeks after treatment begins. This shows that these scans can help doctors make treatment decisions sooner. Learn more.

Breast Cancer – New drug combination treatment shows promise

The BRACELET-1 trial looked at adding an immunotherapy called pelareorep (PEL-uh-REE-oh-rep) to chemotherapy.  The study included patients with HR+, HER2- breast cancer that had spread to other areas of the body. The combination helped more patients’ tumors shrink. It also delayed cancer growth longer than chemotherapy alone. However, patients who received pelareorep had more side effects. This treatment approach is promising but needs further study. Researchers need to better understand its benefits and risks. Learn more.

Breast Cancer – Study identifies who benefits from a less intense treatment

The CompassHER2 pCR trial is testing a less intense treatment for early-stage, HER2+ breast cancer. This approach uses less chemotherapy along with targeted therapies before surgery. The goal is to treat cancer effectively while causing fewer side effects. Researchers shared early results showing how well patients responded after 12 weeks of treatment. They also identified factors that predict which patients are most likely to benefit from this reduced treatment. These findings may help doctors determine who could safely receive less aggressive treatment. Learn more.

Leukemia – Black patients with acute myeloid leukemia have lower survival rates

Researchers compared genetic changes and treatment outcomes between Black and white patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This is a type of blood cancer. The team reviewed records from nearly 4,000 people newly diagnosed with AML. They found that Black patients were generally younger when diagnosed. However, they had lower survival rates than white patients. Survival was worse even when biology looked similar. This suggests that factors beyond genetics affect survival. These may include access to care or other social factors. More research is needed to understand and address these differences. Learn more.

Leukemia – Immunotherapy improves survival for teens and young adults

Adding the immunotherapy drug blinatumomab (blih-nuh-TOO-moh-mab) to standard chemotherapy helps people with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) live longer.  The strong results from a clinical trial called E1910 led to FDA approval of blinatumomab in 2024 to treat this type of blood cancer in adults ages 30 to 70. New findings in 2025 focused on patients younger than age 55. Combined with results from studies in children, this research shows blinatumomab may be an important part of treatment for all teens and young adults with B-ALL. Learn more.

Lung Cancer – Targeted drug did not improve outcomes after surgery for early-stage lung cancer

About 1 in 25 people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have tumors with a genetic change called an ALK fusion. For patients with advanced-stage ALK-positive lung cancer, targeted therapies like crizotinib (krih-ZOH-tih-nib) have helped improve survival. The E4512 trial tested whether crizotinib could prevent cancer from coming back after surgery. Crizotinib did not help patients live longer without cancer when compared to careful observation alone. Newer ALK-targeted drugs are now available. These may be more effective and easier to tolerate. They offer hope for better outcomes in the future. Learn more.

Lung Cancer – Immunotherapy works best after—not during—chemotherapy and radiation

For people with stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be removed with surgery, the standard treatment is chemotherapy given at the same time as radiation (called chemoradiation). If the cancer does not get worse, patients then receive immunotherapy with durvalumab (dur-VAL-yoo-mab) for one year. This helps lower the risk of cancer coming back. The EA5181 trial tested whether adding durvalumab during the chemoradiation would improve outcomes. It did not. This study does not support using durvalumab at the same time as chemoradiation. However, it confirms that durvalumab remains an important treatment after chemoradiation. Learn more.

Melanoma – Immunotherapy may help prevent rare skin cancer from spreading

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare but very aggressive type of skin cancer. Fewer than half of patients are alive 5 years after diagnosis. The STAMP trial studied whether giving the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (pem-broh-LIH-zoo-mab) after surgery could help prevent the cancer from returning or spreading. After two years, 73% of patients who received pembrolizumab remained cancer-free, compared to 66% of those who did not receive the drug. While this difference was not large enough to be considered definite, patients treated with pembrolizumab had a 42% lower risk of cancer spreading to distant organs. This could offer an important new option for patients. Learn more.

Melanoma – New drug combination may improve treatment response

The EA6194 trial studied a new treatment approach for people with high-risk melanoma that can still be removed with surgery. Researchers tested whether giving immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) before surgery works better when combined with another immunotherapy called vidutolimod (VYE-doo-TOLL-ih-mod). Among 57 patients, those who received the combination treatment were more likely to have no signs of cancer remaining at surgery. This was compared to those who received pembrolizumab alone. These early findings suggest that pembrolizumab plus vidutolimod may be a promising option to explore as a pre-surgery treatment for high-risk melanoma. Learn more.