OncosphereConference · for clinicians
ESMO Congress 2026 in Madrid: what to watch
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 is being held in Madrid from 23 to 27 October 2026.
Key sessions
- Presidential Symposium I — Saturday 24 October, 16:30–18:15 CEST (20:00–21:45 IST), Alicante Auditorium, Hall 6. Late-breaking abstracts span melanoma, bladder cancer, small-cell lung cancer and high-risk prostate cancer.
- Presidential Symposium II — Sunday 25 October, 16:30–18:15 CET (21:00–22:45 IST), same venue, covering NSCLC, gastric and biliary-tract cancers.
The programme also includes sessions on artificial intelligence in oncology, toxicities of novel therapies and patient-advocacy sessions on access and equity — topics highly relevant to public-sector oncology in India.
I will post short summaries of the practice-changing results here after the data are presented. Abstracts are available through the official ESMO programme linked below.
How to follow ESMO from India
- Presidential Symposia fall in the Indian evening (times above in IST). Recorded sessions are typically available to registered delegates on the ESMO platform.
- Abstracts and late-breaking abstracts are published in Annals of Oncology; simultaneous papers often appear in NEJM or The Lancet on the day of presentation.
- ESMO Daily Reporter and society social-media channels provide same-day summaries.
How to judge a “practice-changing” headline
- Was the endpoint overall survival or a surrogate (PFS, pCR, response)? Surrogates can mislead.
- Was the control arm the current standard where you practise?
- Is the absolute benefit clinically meaningful relative to toxicity and cost? ESMO’s own Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) helps grade this.
- Is the result published and peer reviewed, or only presented?
- Is the drug accessible, and is there a cheaper equivalent?
What I will cover after the meeting
Post-congress summaries will follow the same format as other posts on this site: a bottom-line box, telegraphic trial data with citations, guideline context and a “What it means for India” note. Figures will only be added once they are available in the official abstracts or full papers.
Now posted: Presidential Symposium I and Presidential Symposium II.
Sources
Educational summary, not medical advice. Opinions are labelled as such and are the author's own. Approvals and availability in India (CDSCO) may differ from the US/EU.