Reflections on the Biggest Accomplishments of 2023

We take this opportunity to celebrate some significant advances in 2023 by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN), starting with several major research initiatives that were introduced or expanded throughout the year.

• In precision medicine, the April launch of ComboMATCH (Molecular Analysis for Combination Therapy Choice) was a significant collaborative accomplishment with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Children's Oncology Group, NRG Oncology, and SWOG Cancer Research Network. These cooperative groups are leading the various treatment trials in ComboMATCH, while ECOG-ACRIN and the NCI are leading the overall initiative.
• The initial ECOG-ACRIN treatment trial, ComboMATCH-E4, opened in April and is enrolling patients at a brisk pace. Another ECOG-ACRIN research team developed the new ComboMATCH-E5 trial.?
• ComboMATCH is a logical successor to the successfully completed NCI-MATCH platform trial. At our Spring Group Meeting in May, we celebrated the conclusion of this successful first-of-its-kind endeavor, which involved enormous contributions on the part of so many individuals.
• Then, in June, Nature Medicine published The NCI-MATCH Trial: Lessons for Precision Oncology, by ECOG-ACRIN Group Co-Chair Dr. Peter J. O'Dwyer (University of Pennsylvania/Abramson Cancer Center) and fellow NCI-MATCH trial leaders. The article is a must-read for everyone planning to conduct future precision oncology clinical trials throughout the public and private sectors.
• Our major breast cancer screening study, Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST), progressed at an impressive pace, reaching over 95,000 participants by year's end, moving towards the goal of 128,906 participants. The trial is running at nearly 130 sites in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Peru, South Korea, Italy—and now Thailand under the leadership of Dr. Etta D. Pisano (American College of Radiology). Dr. Pisano and colleagues initiated numerous TMIST secondary research projects this past year.
• In the realm of real-world data, ECOG-ACRIN was awarded a U01 Cooperative Agreement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the acquisition and analysis of real-world data to provide evidence of the effectiveness of novel therapies beyond the restricted populations that comprise the phase 3 trials upon which FDA approval was based. This program is just as relevant in the community setting as it is in academic cancer centers; thus, the practical implementation of real-world data studies will depend on insights from our member institutions. Our first project is in the advanced stages of planning and should be active in the first half of 2024.
• Another accomplishment in 2023 was the initiation of a new Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Working Group. This initiative is led by Oncology Nursing Committee chair Dr. Bridget O’Brien-Fagan and ECOG-ACRIN Group Vice Chair Dr. Al Benson (both with Northwestern University and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center), together with representatives from the other cooperative groups (named above). The participation of APPs in our research has been limited in many institutions by clinical demands that leave little time for academic and professional development. We recognize the importance of APP input, both in identifying patients for trials as well as in managing patients while on studies. With the establishment of the new working group, we hope that the APP voice will also influence the design of trials and the research questions to be addressed.

Last year, we also recognized accomplishments in key clinical trials:

• At the Spring Group Meeting, Dr. Michael B. Atkins (Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center) updated attendees on the practice-changing results of the DREAMseq Trial (EA6134), Dabrafenib and Trametinib Followed by Ipilimumab and Nivolumab or Ipilimumab and Nivolumab Followed by Dabrafenib and Trametinib in Treating Patients with Stage III-IV BRAFV600 Melanoma. For these patients, starting treatment with immunotherapy (nivolumab and ipilimumab), followed by targeted therapy (dabrafenib and trametinib) if there is disease progression is associated with greater 2- and 3-year overall survival than the reverse sequence.
• The Journal Of Clinical Oncology named the DREAMseq primary manuscript the 2023 JCO Paper of the Year
• At the Fall Group Meeting in October, Dr. Christopher E. Comstock (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) shared an update on the EA1141 trial, Abbreviated Breast MRI (AB-MR) and Digital Tomosynthesis Mammography (DBT) in Screening Women with Dense Breasts. On the incidence screening round, AB-MR detected additional invasive breast cancers not seen on DBT—but DBT had higher specificity. Ultimately, combined screening with both DBT and AB-MR offers the highest overall sensitivity.
• In December, the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Official Press Program highlighted the latest results from study E4112, Prospective Study of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Multiparameter Gene Expression Assay in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). This trial is addressing the over-treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Dr. Seema A. Kahn (Northwestern University and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center) reported that patients with low-risk DCIS who skipped adjuvant radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery had comparable 5-year outcomes to those with high-risk DCIS who received adjuvant radiotherapy. Multiple news outlets covered the analysis.

We also honored several individuals in 2023:

• Dr. Patrick M. Forde (Johns Hopkins University/The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center) was named the Young Investigator of the Year
• Dr. Arlene A. Forastiere (Johns Hopkins University/The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center) became the inaugural recipient of the Remarkable Mentor to Women in Oncology Award
• Dr. Edith P. Mitchell (Thomas Jefferson University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center) received accolades for her longstanding commitment to health equity and ensuring a diverse workforce in oncology, as we renamed the travel scholarship program for underrepresented minority trainees to the Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD Health Equity Travel Scholarships. Dr. Mitchell founded the travel scholarship program in 2017 and is currently the Health Equity Committee co-chair and an Executive Committee member.
• Dr. Julia D. Ransohoff (Stanford University/Stanford Cancer Institute) received the Paul Carbone, MD Fellowship Award

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives expanded in 2023 as we strive to fulfill the mission of the Health Equity Committee to weave inclusion into the fabric of ECOG-ACRIN:

• The DEI goal to foster representation of underserved groups in clinical trials gained traction through the award of a Connecting Underrepresented Populations to Clinical Trials (CUSP2CT) grant to ECOG-ACRIN Health Equity Committee Chair Dr. Melissa A. Simon (Northwestern University and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center)
• The Fall meeting hosted the largest-ever number of medical and research trainees, with 16 individuals attending through the Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD Travel Scholarship Program, aimed at enhancing the minority research workforce

Lastly, we celebrate having two in-person Group Meetings in 2023, with attendance levels rivaling those before the pandemic. The appetite for non-virtual discussions, idea generation, arguments, and planning was amply met and is reflected in the almost 50 studies currently in development. We are happy that confidence in the productivity of the in-person meetings is high. Still, we have also heard from our members that including a virtual element is important—especially for those unable to travel in these resource-restricted times. Because of cost and funding restrictions, our focus will be on providing a few key hybrid sessions for virtual input and posting selected recordings in the membership area of our website.

With this recap, we wish you a bright and hopeful 2024!

Read the December 2023 issue of News from ECOG-ACRIN here.

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