ASCO 2026: ADCs, KRAS Inhibitors & the Future of Breast Cancer Treatment with Dr Tarantino

In this episode of The OncoloGIST, we sit down with Paolo Tarantino, MD, live from the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting to discuss some of the most exciting developments emerging from this year's conference spanning breast oncology and beyond.

Dr Tarantino opens by reflecting on a broader trend in oncology: breakthroughs in one cancer type often pave the way for progress in another. With that in mind, he highlights the buzz surrounding next-generation KRAS inhibitors, particularly early data on sonrosib in pancreatic cancer being presented by Dana-Farber. While KRAS mutations are not commonly seen in breast cancer, Dr. Tarantino believes that understanding how these inhibitors perform in other tumor types could ultimately inform the development of better targeted therapies for breast cancer patients down the line.

As a self-described "ADC guy," Dr Tarantino is particularly enthusiastic about the antibody-drug conjugate data on display at this year's meeting. He points to a growing body of evidence, both in breast cancer and in other solid tumors, suggesting that combining ADCs with immunotherapy yields meaningful clinical benefit. Notably, data from non-small cell lung cancer presented at ASCO is adding further weight to this combination strategy, reinforcing its potential as a new standard of care across tumor types.

Within breast oncology specifically, Dr Tarantino highlights several late-breaking datasets generating significant excitement. These include positive phase 3 data for iza-bren vs chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer, as well as promising results with a novel anti-HER2 biparatopic antibody in the neoadjuvant setting. He emphasizes that while the data are encouraging, the critical next step will be understanding how to translate these findings into clinical practice and future trial design.