Dana-Farber Research News 10.01.2026

This twice-monthly newsletter highlights recently published research where Dana-Farber faculty are listed as first or senior authors. The information is pulled from PubMed and this issue notes papers published from September 1 - 15.

By
October 1, 2026
32 min

Dana-Farber

Overview

This issue highlights significant findings from recent research, including the five-year efficacy results from the CheckMate-274 trial (Galsky et al, Ann Oncol 2026) demonstrating improved disease-free survival with adjuvant nivolumab in high-risk urothelial carcinoma, and a 7-year update from the CROWN study (Shaw et al, Ann Oncol 2026) showing long-term benefits of lorlatinib over crizotinib in ALK-positive NSCLC.

Background

Advancements in cancer treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies are crucial for improving patient outcomes. This newsletter summarizes key studies that may influence current treatment standards.

Data Highlights

Study	Findings
CheckMate-274	Adjuvant nivolumab nearly doubled median disease-free survival compared to placebo (Galsky et al, Ann Oncol 2026).
CROWN Study	7-year PFS: 55% for lorlatinib vs 3% for crizotinib (Shaw et al, Ann Oncol 2026).

Key Findings

CheckMate-274 trial shows adjuvant nivolumab improves disease-free survival in high-risk urothelial carcinoma (Galsky et al, Ann Oncol 2026).
7-year follow-up of CROWN study indicates lorlatinib has not reached median progression-free survival (Shaw et al, Ann Oncol 2026).
Patients on lorlatinib without progression at 24 months have a 79% probability of survival without progression at year 7 (Shaw et al, Ann Oncol 2026).
No new safety signals reported for nivolumab in the CheckMate-274 trial (Galsky et al, Ann Oncol 2026).
Long-term responders on lorlatinib show fewer genetic alterations in circulating tumor DNA compared to early progressors (Shaw et al, Ann Oncol 2026).

Clinical Implications

Clinicians should consider the long-term benefits and safety profiles of these therapies as reported in the studies.

Conclusion

The recent research emphasizes the importance of long-term data in guiding clinical practice, particularly regarding adjuvant nivolumab and lorlatinib.