This is a guide to ASCO 2026 with Susan G. Komen. Each year, thousands of cancer researchers, doctors, advocates and health care professionals amass at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, commonly known as ASCO. This year’s meeting starts on May 29 and lasts five days in Chicago (with a virtual option as well). Last year’s meeting had nearly 45,000 people registered, making it one of the largest cancer research meetings globally.
Conferences can be overwhelming, especially one as large as ASCO – with new data being shared, headlines passing quickly and acronyms galore. Information comes at you like a firehose, and while each finding brings more information, not every exciting presentation means a change in care right away.
For these reasons and more, Susan G. Komen is present at ASCO to help keep the breast cancer community connected to the conversations that are shaping the future of care.
ASCO and why it matters for people with breast cancer
Conferences like ASCO are where many researchers first share new clinical trial results, treatment strategies and scientific updates before being published in medical journals. These findings can help shape future studies and influence medical practices like contributing to future clinical practice guidelines or treatment changes.
Importantly, context matters. For example, a finding from a small study is different from that of a large randomized clinical trial. A study that focuses on metastatic breast cancer (MBC) may not apply to early-stage cancers. A result that improves tumor response may not yet have information about whether people live longer or have a better quality of life.
Some terms you may read or hear include:
These terms can help you understand what a study is measuring, but they don’t give the full story on their own. It can be helpful for your doctor to help explain if a finding is relevant to your type of breast cancer, treatment history and personal goals.
What we’re watching at ASCO 2026
Komen will be following research across several areas of breast cancer, including metastatic breast cancer and early breast cancer. We’ll be watching for findings that could help improve outcomes, inform future treatment decisions or point to where the field is headed next.
- Metastatic breast cancer (MBC): We’ll be watching trial updates on more personalized approaches to MBC, including strategies that use tumor features or mutations to guide treatment choices. In metastatic triple negative breast cancer, researchers will be presenting new data on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as potential treatments to use earlier, as well as approaches that switch therapies when signs of resistance develop. The goal for these studies is to keep cancer under control longer while maximizing quality of life.
- Early breast cancer: We expect updates on treatment approaches that could help reduce the risk of recurrence and improve long-term outcomes in people with early breast cancer. This includes updates on newer hormone therapies, such as oral SERDs, which are currently used to treat some hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancers, and how they may fit into care for HR+/HER2-negative early breast cancers. Research is examining the benefits and side effects of these drugs compared to current standard hormone therapies.
- New ways of understanding risk/monitoring: There will also be updates on tools that could help doctors better understand risk, monitor treatment response and further personalize follow-up care. These include trials using blood tests on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to look for early signs of treatment resistance or minimal residual disease (MRD). These talks will explore where ctDNA‑based tests approaches look promising, where results are mixed and what questions need to be answered before these tools can be used more widely in everyday care.
Komen’s research investment and its importance today
Scientific progress does not happen overnight. The research presented at ASCO is often the result of years of work, collaboration and funding.
Since its founding, Komen has invested more than $1.1 billion in breast cancer research – supporting more than 2,800 studies, making it the largest nonprofit funder of breast cancer research outside of the U.S. government. This continued investment is especially important at a time when research funding is under pressure.
Komen is proud to see multiple Komen-funded scientists presenting posters, giving talks and receiving awards at this year’s meeting. For example, Komen Scholar Jennifer Ligibel, M.D., is presenting new results from the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) trial, which is testing how a structured weight-loss program affects quality of life for women with breast cancer.
Komen at ASCO – 3 ways to connect
At ASCO 2026, Komen will connect with researchers, advocates and partners across the cancer community. If you’re attending, here are three ways to connect with us. If you’re following from home, we have other ways to connect through our blogs and social media recaps.
Patient Advocacy Booth
- Komen will be at the ASCO Patient Advocacy Booth in the Exhibit Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to Monday. Stop by to meet the team, learn about advocacy opportunities, share your story or pick up resources. Research should be shaped by the people it’s meant to serve, and both patient and advocate voices belong at the table where science happens.
Komen panel in the ASCO Patient Advocacy Lounge
- Komen is hosting a panel in collaboration with ASCO on Saturday, May 30, from 11 a.m. to noon in the ASCO Patient Advocacy Lounge. This session is open to patient advocates and will feature clinicians and patient advocates who will discuss the rising incidence of cancer in younger populations. This conversation will include how advocacy can address needs across the cancer continuum – including family, career, survivorship and long-term risk – to help young adults thrive. Panel speakers include:
- Sue Friedman, D.V.M., Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
- Allison Rosen, M.S., Colorectal cancer survivor, Patient Advocate
- Letícia Varella, M.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Moderated by Krissa Smith, Ph.D., Susan G. Komen
Komen Networking Reception – “Stronger Together: Advancing Equitable Breast Cancer Care”
- Komen is hosting a networking reception Thursday, May 28, from 5-6:30 p.m. This invitation-based event will bring together researchers, advocates, nonprofit leaders and Komen-funded scientists for connection and collaboration. The goal is to create space for people across the breast cancer community to meet, share ideas and strengthen the partnerships that help move research and care forward.
Follow along with Komen online
Whether you’re attending ASCO in Chicago, following from home or hearing about the meeting for the first time, Komen will help break down breast cancer news and what it may mean.
Follow Komen on social media for live updates, recaps and highlights from ASCO 2026. After the meeting, check back for our ASCO highlights blog, where we’ll break down key breast cancer findings, the context behind the headlines and what the research could mean for people living with breast cancer.
Follow Komen’s social media channels for live conference updates this week!
