The professor named the key achievements in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer in 2025

This year has become one of the most significant periods for global and Russian oncology: research results have been presented at leading medical conferences that confirm rapid progress in cancer treatment, early diagnosis, and the introduction of personalized medicine. Marina Sekacheva, Director of the Institute of Personalized Oncology at the First Moscow State Medical University, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, told Izvestia on January 1 about the key achievements of 2025, including the developments of Sechenov University.

According to her, one of the main breakthroughs was the success of cell therapy. Previously, CAR-T drugs were used mainly for oncohematological diseases, but in 2025, at the ASCO conference, data on the results of a phase II study on the treatment of gastric cancer using CAR-T cells were published for the first time, which increased the overall survival of patients by 40%.

"No less important achievements are taking place in Russia. Sechenov University is also actively developing technologies for cellular adaptive therapy: in 2025, university staff, together with colleagues from the Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology (Novosibirsk), successfully completed the preclinical development of the world's first TCR-T drug for the treatment of HER2/neu-positive breast cancer. In the future, the combination of CAR-T and TCR-T technologies promises effective therapy for previously resistant solid tumors," Sekacheva said.

Significant changes have also occurred in drug treatment. In 2025, international data on the use of triple combination therapy for advanced colorectal cancer with the BRAF V600E mutation, considered one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, were published. This combination can significantly improve the survival rates of patients who were previously considered extremely difficult to treat. This is an important step towards expanding the range of effective treatment options.

The breakthrough year was also for early diagnosis, the professor added. Liquid biopsy and analysis of circulating DNA in the blood have reached a new level — tests that detect several types of cancer in one study have proven their effectiveness in clinical practice. The first OncoPro software system has been developed and registered in Russia, which makes it possible to determine the probability of developing six oncological diseases based on the analysis of 12 biomarkers. It is an early warning tool that helps to send a patient for examination on time and increase the detection rate of cancer in the initial stages.

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According to Sekacheva, the introduction of artificial intelligence deserves special attention. Computer vision algorithms created at Sechenov University make it possible to automatically analyze biopsy materials of kidney tumors and assess their aggressiveness more accurately than previous methods. AI is already being used to interpret MRI and CT data, predict response to therapy, and select individual treatment regimens. According to experts, in the future this will lead to the formation of algorithms in which the treatment plan will be based on a digital analysis of tumor genetics, clinical history and visual data.

The final achievement of 2025 was developments in the field of personalized medicine. Among the key innovations are the first clinical results of cancer vaccines based on tumor neoantigens designed to prevent recurrence of metastatic melanoma. The Breast Cancer Target test system has been registered in Russia for the selection of therapy for breast cancer, which determines the sensitivity of the tumor to targeted drugs and experimental treatment strategies.

"Thus, personalized oncology now covers the entire patient's journey: from assessing individual risk and screening through the selection of the most effective therapy to monitoring effectiveness and preventing recurrence," the professor concluded.

On October 22, Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko spoke about new trends in domestic healthcare, noting the importance of implementing national projects and moving to digital technologies. According to him, Russia has already completed a significant part of the work on the creation of infrastructure to provide care to patients with cardiovascular and oncological diseases, as well as the modernization of primary care.

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