onc brain

About · curated by Nick Boehling, MD · @nb2276

2026-11-03 ESMO Congress 2026

digest generated 2026-11-04

DASL-HiCaP: darolutamide added to 96-wk ADT plus prostate/bed and pelvic nodal RT, 4-yr MFS-CI 95% vs 88%, HR 0.42 (0.27-0.66) at interim in very high-risk disease.
DASL-HiCaP adds a second ARSI-intensification signal on an RT backbone: 4y MFS-CI 95% vs 88%, HR 0.42 (0.27-0.66), though at interim with OS (HR 0.88) and PCSS immature.

Prostate

ARSI intensification on top of ADT plus pelvic nodal RT, definitive or salvage, in very high-risk disease.

Early signal

DASL-HiCaP NCT04136353

ForVery high-risk localised PCa, or PSA persistent/recurrent within 1 yr of RP

Metastasis-free survival (conventional imaging) surrogate

HR 0.42

95% CI 0.27-0.66, p=0.0001; 4-yr 95% vs 88%

TL;DR4-yr MFS-CI 95% vs 88%, HR 0.42 (0.27-0.66), adding darolutamide to 96-wk ADT plus prostate/bed and pelvic nodal RT in very high-risk disease.

Why it mattersRadiation oncology

Every pt received pelvic nodal RT with 96 wk of LHRH analog, so darolutamide's MFS-CI HR 0.42 is measured on top of elective nodal coverage, not instead of it. 29% were node-positive on CT and the benefit held across primary vs salvage RT and N+ vs N0 (subgroup HRs not in source). The decision it moves is ARSI intensification alongside whole-pelvis RT, not RT field or dose.

Monday clinic

In very high-risk localised prostate cancer planned for 96 wk of ADT with prostate and pelvic nodal RT, this supports darolutamide intensification for MFS-CI; it does not yet establish an OS gain and gives thin data for post-RP salvage pts (15% of the cohort). The longer read

10 details 1 trial watching

International, placebo-controlled, randomised 1:1 phase III, N=1,106 accrued 30APR20 to 09AUG23. Single prespecified interim after 87 MFS-CI events, disclosed only if 2-sided p<0.012. Median follow-up 3.8 yr (IQR 3.3-4.5).

Very high-risk localised prostate cancer, or biochemically persistent/recurrent disease within 1 yr after RP. Median age 71, Gleason 9-10 in 73%, pelvic nodal involvement on CT in 29%, prior RP in 15%.

Darolutamide 600 mg BID vs placebo for 96 wk, both arms on an LHRH analog for 96 wk.

Definitive or salvage RT to prostate or prostate bed plus pelvic nodes in both arms. Dose and fractionation not reported in source.

Primary: MFS on conventional imaging (CT and/or Tc bone scan), chosen per ICECaP surrogacy for OS. Secondary: PSA-PFS, PCSS, OS.

Primary met at interim (table above). OncLive reports MFS benefit consistent across primary vs salvage RT and N+ vs N0, and castration resistance and subsequent hormonal therapy endpoints favouring darolutamide; no numbers given for those.

EndpointDarolutamide N=553Placebo N=553HR (95% CI)
MFS-CI27 (95%)63 (88%)0.42 (0.27-0.66), p=0.0001
PSA-PFS46 (91%)95 (83%)0.47 (0.33-0.67)
PCSS4 (99%)7 (99%)0.58 (0.17-1.97)
OS21 (97%)24 (95%)0.88 (0.49-1.59)
AEDarolutamidePlacebo
Fatigue/asthenia G≥214%10%
Hypertension G≥27%9%
Fractures G≥22%3%
Cardiac G≥23%3%
Any AE G≥343%36%

Any G≥3 AE 43% vs 36%. G≥2 fatigue/asthenia 14% vs 10%; hypertension, fractures and cardiac events not higher with darolutamide.

Tests the same ARSI-added-to-ADT-plus-RT question as ENZARAD (enzalutamide) and ATLAS (apalutamide), and sits against the STAMPEDE abiraterone data that currently anchor intensification in high-risk nonmetastatic disease. DASL-HiCaP differs by mandating pelvic nodal RT and including early post-RP salvage pts.

very high-risk localised or early post-RP persistent/recurrent prostate cancer treated with 96 wk ADT and pelvic nodal RT
Does not represent pts staged only by PSMA PET, intermediate-risk disease, or later salvage beyond 1 yr after RP.

Staging and progression on conventional imaging in a PSMA-era practice; salvage pts are only 15%. Backbone was 96 wk ADT plus pelvic RT in everyone, so benefit with shorter ADT or prostate-only fields is untested.

The MFS-CI gain is large but OS events are few (21 vs 24) and PCSS is 99% in both arms at 4 yr. Whether this becomes a darolutamide option alongside abiraterone in this setting depends on surrogacy holding at final analysis.

CONSORT flow
Randomized1106
↓
Darolutamide + ADT + RT
allocated 553
4yr MFS-CI 95%
Placebo + ADT + RT
allocated 553
4yr MFS-CI 88%

Prespecified interim analysis, not the final primary analysis; MFS-CI surrogate with PCSS and OS immature (OS HR 0.88, CI crosses 1). Randomised, placebo-controlled design is otherwise clean.

Sourced from Tamim Niazi

📚 Sources · 📄 3 papers
📄 PAPER Tamim Niazi · ESMO Congress 2026 (2026-10)
Darolutamide with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and definitive or salvage locoregional radiation therapy (RT) for localised, very high-risk prostate cancer: Interim analysis of an international, placebo-controlled, randomised phase 3 trial (DASL-HiCaP; ANZUP1801)
Abstract
ESMO Congress 2026 abstract LBA4 · Presidential Symposium I · 2026-10-24 · presented by Tamim Niazi (Montreal, Canada, QC) · NCT04136353<br/><br/>Background: We evaluated the addition of darolutamide to standard of care ADT and RT for very high-risk localised or biochemically persistent/recurrent prostate cancer within 1 year after radical prostatectomy (RP).<br/>Methods: Participants (pts) were prescribed an LHRH analog for 96 weeks plus RT to prostate/prostate bed and pelvic nodes and randomised 1:1 to darolutamide 600 mg vs placebo, twice daily for 96 weeks. The primary endpoint was metastasis-free survival based on conventional imaging with CT and/or technetium bone scan (MFS-CI, as per ICECaP surrogacy for OS). PSA-progression free survival (PFS), prostate cancer specific survival (PCSS), and overall survival (OS) were secondary endpoints. The protocol specified a single interim analysis after 87 MFS-CI events, with IDSMC review for external disclosure if the 2-sided, stratified log-rank p-value for MFS-CI was <0.012.<br/>Results: We randomised 1,106 pts from 30APR20 to 09AUG23 with median age 71 (IQR 65-75), pelvic nodal involvement on CT in 29%, Gleason score 9-10 in 73%, and prior RP in 15%. Median follow-up was 3.8 years (IQR 3.3 to 4.5). MFS-CI was longer amongst those assigned darolutamide vs placebo: 4-year MFS-CI 95% vs 88%, hazard ratio 0.42 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.66), 27 vs 63 events, p=0.0001. PSA-PFS, PCSS, and OS are shown below. The proportions of pts experiencing grade ≥2 of the following AE clusters of special interest (darolutamide vs placebo) were: fatigue/asthenia (14% vs 10%), hypertension (7% vs 9%), fractures (2% vs 3%), and cardiac (3% vs 3%). Any AE grade ≥3 was experienced by 43% vs 36% of pts, respectively.<br/>Conclusions: Darolutamide significantly improved MFS-CI when added to ADT and loco-regional RT for very high-risk localised, or biochemically persistent/recurrent prostate cancer. Follow-up is ongoing to confirm the surrogacy of MFS-CI for OS. Table: LBA4 DarolutamideN=553 events (event-free at 4y) PlaceboN=553 events (event-free at 4y) Hazard ratio (95% CI) MFS 27 (95%) 63 (88%) 0.42 (0.27 to 0.66) PSA-PFS 46 (91%) 95 (83%) 0.47 (0.33 to 0.67) PCSS 4 (99%) 7 (99%) 0.58 (0.17 to 1.97) OS 21 (97%) 24 (95%) 0.88 (0.49 to 1.59)<br/>Clinical trial identification: NCT04136353.
📄 PAPER · Oncodaily - Oncology News, Insights, Stories (2026-10)
DASL-HiCaP at ESMO 2026: Darolutamide Plus ADT and Radiotherapy in Very High-Risk Prostate Cancer - OncoDaily
Abstract
DASL-HiCaP at ESMO 2026: Darolutamide Plus ADT and Radiotherapy in Very High-Risk Prostate Cancer / cancer, cancer care, Cancer research, cancer treatment,
📄 PAPER · OncLive (2026-10)
DASL-HiCaP: Darolutamide Plus ADT and Radiation Therapy Improves MFS in Very High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer | OncLive
Abstract
Adding darolutamide to androgen deprivation and primary or salvage radiation lowered metastasis risk in very high-risk localized prostate cancer.

1 of 3 study clusters analyzed successfully.

2 clusters dropped
  • Inflammatory and epigenetic signatures in progressive brain metastases after cranial RT (bm-progression-post-rt-signatures)
    suppressed via override
  • Trotabresib + RT/TMZ in newly diagnosed IDH-wt GBM (trotabresib-ndgbm)
    suppressed via override