Oncologist Giuseppe Curigliano: Hope and the Future of Cancer Cures

Professor Giuseppe Curigliano, a leading figure in global oncology and President-Elect of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), is advocating for the critical role of hope in cancer patient care while advancing the implementation of next-generation therapies for metastatic breast cancer.

Curigliano, who serves as the Director of the Early Drug Development Division and Co-Chair of the Experimental Therapeutics Program at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan, emphasizes that hope serves as a primary driver for patients facing malignancy.

Advancements in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer

During the 28th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO), held from September 10 to 14, 2025, in Jinan, Shandong, Professor Curigliano detailed the evolution of first-line treatment strategies for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

For more than a decade, the standard of care was defined by the CLEOPATRA study, which utilized a regimen combining pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and taxane-based chemotherapy.

The CLEOPATRA regimen extended the median Progression-Free Survival (PFS) to 18.5 months. Follow-up data published by Professor Sandra Swain indicated that 37% of patients remained alive after eight years, highlighting the efficacy of dual-targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy.

However, the treatment landscape is currently shifting with the introduction of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which challenge the existing standards of care.

The Impact of the DESTINY-Breast09 Study

A significant focus of recent clinical research is the DESTINY-Breast09 (DB09) study. This research investigates the use of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) plus pertuzumab as a first-line treatment for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.

Professor Curigliano has highlighted the importance of international collaboration in these breakthroughs, noting that Chinese researchers contributed more than 20% of all enrolled patients in the DESTINY-Breast09 study.

The integration of ADCs like T-DXd represents a move toward a new paradigm in treatment, aiming to improve outcomes beyond the historical benchmarks set by the CLEOPATRA regimen.

Professional Background and Academic Leadership

Professor Curigliano’s influence in the field is supported by extensive academic and clinical credentials. He is a Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Milan and the Editor-in-Chief of ESMO Open.

His professional training includes:

• An MD and specialization in Medical Oncology, both cum laude, from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy.
• A PhD in Medical Pathophysiology and Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Pisa, Italy.
• Research fellowships in Clinical Immunology at the Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, and in Molecular Epidemiology at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University.

Since 2013, he has led the Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), following previous leadership roles as Co-Director of the Division of Medical Oncology and Director of the Department of Medicine and Radiotherapy.

Philosophy on Patient Care and Research

Beyond clinical trials, Curigliano maintains a philosophy that blends scientific rigor with a compassionate approach to patient psychology.

Per il paziente la speranza è un motore, non deve mai perderla. Contro il cancro ci sarà una cura, era un mio sogno già da piccolo

Corriere della Sera

This perspective underscores his lifelong commitment to oncology, driven by a childhood ambition to find a definitive cure for cancer.

His current work continues to bridge the gap between early drug development and clinical practice, focusing on the transition from traditional chemotherapy-based combinations to more precise, targeted ADC therapies to improve patient survival and quality of life.