Below are summaries of recent publications involving ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) researchers and trial data. The publications cover breast cancer, lymphoma, precision oncology, and tobacco and alcohol use among people undergoing cancer treatment. Click on the shortened citations to access the publications.

Breast Cancer – Black patients with breast cancer face a higher risk of developing nerve damage from taxane chemotherapy. In ECOG-ACRIN’s EAZ171 trial, docetaxel every 3 weeks was associated with less neuropathy than weekly paclitaxel in Black patients with early-stage breast cancer. A new analysis identified clinical, social, and genetic factors associated with neuropathy risk. The findings may help identify higher-risk patients and inform research on prevention. A Multi-Dimensional Framework for Predicting Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Black Women With Breast Cancer: Findings from ECOG-ACRIN EAZ171. Schneider BP. npj Breast Cancer. August 2026.

Breast Cancer – Artificial intelligence (AI) could make assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)—immune cells in tumor tissue—more efficient, but their prognostic value requires independent validation. An analysis of 1,356 participants in seven randomized trials, including ECOG-ACRIN E1199 and E2197, validated the prognostic value of two existing AI models in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. The AI tools did not add significant prognostic information when pathologist scores were already available, but their validation strenthen the potential case for their use to improve efficiency or when routine widespread pathologist assessment is unavailable. Artificial Intelligence-Based Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocyte Quantification in Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: An Independent Validation Study. Dixon-Douglas JR. Lancet Oncol. September 2026.

Cancer Care Delivery Research – A new analysis from the Smokefree Support Study 2.0 (EAQ171CD) highlights an opportunity to address alcohol use alongside tobacco dependence during cancer care. Among 305 participants, some moved to a lower alcohol use disorder risk category during tobacco treatment. These changes occurred in both the sustained treatment and enhanced usual care groups, with no statistically significant difference between them. The authors suggest that tailoring smoking-cessation programs to address both alcohol and tobacco use may help reduce these modifiable risk behaviors. Walter AW. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. September 2026.

Lymphoma – About one quarter of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who achieve a complete response after first-line therapy eventually relapse. Existing prognostic models estimate outcomes at the start of treatment but do not update risk afterward. Researchers developed a conditional event-free survival tool that combines baseline risk factors with time in remission. It was developed using data from 2,757 patients, including ECOG-ACRIN E1412 and E4494 participants, and independently validated in a Danish registry. Development and Validation of a Novel Conditional Event‐Free Survival Tool in Diffuse Large B‐Cell Lymphoma. Chen Z. Am J Hematol. September 2026.

Precision Oncology – Genomic information can help match patients to treatments, but it does not guarantee that those treatments will work. Co-clinical imaging—linked imaging studies in patients and corresponding animal models—can assess whether drugs reach tumors and produce their intended biological effects. Research in this area has been ongoing for more than a decade through the National Cancer Institute Co-Clinical Imaging Research Resource Program. This perspective article reviews that progress, describes critical gaps, and identifies priorities. The Next Frontier in Quantitative Co-clinical Imaging to Advance Functional Precision Oncology. Shoghi KI. Clin Cancer Res. September 2026.