Hematology / Conferences 06/26/2026

ASCO 2026: Key Lymphoma Data From the frontMIND and SUNMO Trials

A professional headshot of a young businessman in a navy suit and tie, smiling confidently against a neutral gray background. Sawyer Bawek, DO Bright young woman with dark hair smiling, professional attire, white background. Agrima Mian, MD

Key Points

  • The frontMIND study showed the addition of tafasitamab and lenalidomide to standard front-line chemotherapy improved survival for patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas.
  • Phase 2 data suggest that epcoritamab plus a non-anthracycline chemotherapy regimen may improve safety with feasible efficacy in older or more frail patients with lymphoma.
  • Longer-term follow-up data from the SUNMO study continue to show the value of mosunetuzumab plus polatuzumab vedotin in transplant–ineligible patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

Sawyer Bawek, DO, and Agrima Mian, MD, hematology and oncology co-fellows at Cleveland Clinic, discussed notable data in hematologic malignancies presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO 2026), including the frontMIND and SUNMO trials, and early-phase data for non-anthracycline chemotherapy plus bispecific antibody therapy in frail patients.

The phase 3 frontMIND study evaluated tafasitamab plus lenalidomide and R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) in patients with newly diagnosed aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Compared with R-CHOP alone, the tafasitamab combination improved progression-free survival for patients with high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or high-grade B-cell lymphomas, regardless of cell of origin subtype, according to the ASCO 2026 presentation.

These data potentially establish tafasitamab, lenalidomide, and R-CHOP as a new standard treatment option for DLBCL in the frontline setting, although more trials may be needed to compare it with other regimens like Pola-R-CHP (polatuzumab vedotin, rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone), said Dr. Mian. 

Dr. Mian also highlighted a smaller phase 2 trial that investigated epcoritamab in combination with rituximab and mini cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (R-mini-CVP). The combination showed promising efficacy with favorable tolerability in older or more frail patients that may not tolerate full-dose, anthracycline–based chemotherapy regimens, according to the report. The study, while still in early phases, may help address the unmet need for more tolerable bispecific–based regimens in DLBCL. 

The SUNMO trial previously showed mosunetuzumab plus polatuzumab vedotin had superior efficacy compared with rituximab, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin in relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Longer-term follow-up presented at ASCO 2026 continue to show the value of mosunetuzumab plus polatuzumab vedotin for patients ineligible for transplant or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, particularly in the second-line setting.