mRNA Covid shots may boost effects of certain cancer treatments, study suggests

Also: Merck rolls out some showstoppers at a major cancer conference. Its future may depend on them

October 21, 2025 Check out STAT+

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images STAT+ | mRNA Covid shots may boost the effects of certain cancer treatments, study suggests Patients with advanced cancers who received a Covid vaccine before getting an immunotherapy drug lived significantly longer than patients who did not. By Angus Chen STAT+ | Grail says new data on multi-cancer screening test show improved performance A major study found Grail's Galleri blood test detects cancers early, yet experts question whether liquid biopsies can improve survival By Jonathan Wosen STAT+ | At ESMO, AstraZeneca and Gilead square off in triple-negative breast cancer At the ESMO Conference 2025, both companies reported successes in treating triple-negative breast cancer, with experts discussing which drug had the edge. By Andrew Joseph Andrew Joseph/STAT STAT+ | Merck rolls out some showstoppers at a major cancer conference. Its future may depend on them Doctors applauded Merck's impressive Keytruda results and next-gen ADC data at ESMO 2025, a glimpse into how the firm sees its post-Keytruda future. By Andrew Joseph

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