Key Points
- ASCO is known for presenting groundbreaking advances in cancer research and treatment.
- Three focused ultrasound posters, on adult and pediatric brain tumor clinical trials, were included.
The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 took place from May 31 to June 4, 2024, in Chicago. ASCO attracts more than 45,000 oncology researchers, clinicians, and associated professionals from around the globe. This conference is known for presenting groundbreaking advances in cancer research and treatment.
Focused Ultrasound Posters
Three focused ultrasound–related studies were presented at ASCO 2024, each targeting challenging brain cancers. Researchers presented posters with updates from clinical trials investigating focused ultrasound for glioblastoma (GBM) and pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). These presentations highlighted the potential of focused ultrasound for enhancing drug delivery, improving liquid biopsy efficacy, and delivering sonodynamic therapy.
- A phase 1/2 dose escalation and expansion study of sonodynamic therapy with SONALA-001 in combination with Exablate 4000 Type 2.0 MR-guided focused ultrasound in patients with progressive or recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) by Dimitris Placantonakis, MD, PhD, from NYU Medical Center-Perlmutter Cancer Center: this trial is exploring sonodynamic therapy combined with amino-levulinic acid (SONALA-001) for rGBM. Using MR-guided focused ultrasound, this study assesses safety, dosage, and potential efficacy as a noninvasive therapy targeting tumor cell death.
- Interim report of a phase 2 study of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) using SONALA-001 together with MR-guided low-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) in children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) by Lindsay Baker Kilburn, MD, from Children’s National Hospital: Preliminary data showed safety with no dose-limiting toxicities and some early signs of therapeutic response, warranting further research.
- A prospective, multicenter trial of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) for blood-brain barrier disruption for liquid biopsy in glioblastoma (LIBERATE) by Manmeet Singh Ahluwalia, MD, FASCO, MBA at Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida: The LIBERATE trial aims to improve liquid biopsy efficacy in GBM by using LIFU with microbubbles to open the blood-brain barrier.
Dr. Ahluwalia expressed optimism about the applications of focused ultrasound in oncology, noting, “These exciting trials underscore the potential for noninvasive approaches combined with the targeted therapies to improve patient outcomes. LIFU may not only improve intracranial drug delivery but also transform plasma-based liquid biopsy in glioblastoma, with the potential to improve biomarker detection and guide systemic therapies.”
“Multiple ongoing trials of LIFU through different platforms for different indications with heterogeneous tunable parameters are being used across different sites – all now call for approaches that will enable us to compare and standardize LIFU treatments,” added Ahmad Ozair, MD, MPH, a postdoctoral fellow who is working on the LIBERATE trial.
Next Meeting
The next ASCO annual meeting will be held in Chicago from May 30 to June 3, 2025. Auditions for ASCO Voices are open through November 15, 2024. The abstract submission deadline is January 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET.
The Foundation thanks Ahmad Ozair, MD, MPH, for writing this meeting summary.