Disease Focus Area:
Solid Tumors

What is ESCC?

Esophageal, or oesophageal, squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the two main types of esophageal cancer (EC). It originates in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells that line the surface of the esophagus. ESCC occurs most often in the upper and middle portions of the esophagus, where abnormal carcinoma cells accumulate and form solid tumors.¹⁵

Globally, EC is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. ESCC is the most common histologic subtype, accounting for nearly 90% of ECs. An estimated 957,000 new EC cases are projected in 2040 globally, an increase of nearly 60% from 2020, underscoring the need for additional effective treatments.^15,16 More than two-thirds of patients have advanced or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, with an expected five-year survival rate of less than 6% for those whose cancer has spread to distant areas of the body.¹⁷

Our ESCC Research

We’re studying scientific-driven targets with diverse modalities to ESCC. Learn more about our investigational medicines for ESCC on our Pipeline page.

Signs & Symptoms

Often, symptoms of ESCC will not appear until the disease is already in an advanced stage.¹⁵ Common signs or symptoms may include:

• Trouble swallowing
• Chest pain
• Weight loss
• Indigestion and heartburn
• Hoarseness

What are Gastric Cancers?

There are several different types of gastric (stomach) cancers. The most common type is adenocarcinoma, which starts in the inner lining of the stomach and can grow into a tumor. It often develops slowly.¹⁸ Less common types of gastric cancer include lymphomas (cancer of the immune cells in the stomach), gastrointestinal stromal tumors (starting in the stomach’s connective tissue) and carcinoid tumors (arising from hormone-producing cells in the stomach).¹⁹

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths.²⁰ Nearly 1 million new patients were diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2022, and 660,000 deaths were reported globally.²¹

Our Gastric Cancer Research

We’re studying scientific-driven targets with diverse modalities to treat gastric cancer. Learn more about our investigational medicines for gastric cancer on our Pipeline page.

Signs & Symptoms²²

• Poor appetite
• Weight loss (without trying)
• Abdominal (belly) pain
• Vague discomfort in the abdomen, usually above the navel
• Feeling full after eating only a small meal
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Nausea
• Vomiting, with or without blood
• Swelling or fluid build-up in the abdomen
• Blood in the stool
• Feeling tired or weak, due to having too few red blood cells (anemia)
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), if the cancer spreads to the liver

What is GEJ Cancer?

Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) cancer is a type of cancer that forms where the esophagus joins the stomach just beneath the diaphragm (the thin sheet of breathing muscle under the lungs). GEJ cancer often behaves like both esophageal and gastric cancers.^18,23

As of 2020, an estimated 604,100 people were diagnosed with esophageal cancer globally, which includes both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma (which encompasses GEJ cancer).¹⁶

Our GEJ Cancer Research

We’re studying scientific-driven targets with diverse modalities to treat GEJ cancer. Learn more about our investigational medicines for GEJ cancer on our Pipeline page.

Signs & Symptoms²⁴

• Difficulty or painful swallowing
• Vomiting
• Excessive flow of saliva or drooling
• Weight loss

What is Lung Cancer?

There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). These two types are named for how the cancer cells look under a microscope.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide.²⁵ NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, making up about 85-90% of all lung cancer cases.^25,26 While NSCLC can be less aggressive than SCLC, 40% of people with NSCLC are diagnosed once the disease has progressed beyond the lungs.²⁶

Comparatively, SCLC is an aggressive, high-grade cancer that accounts for 15% of all lung cancers.²⁷ Approximately 70% of SCLC patients are diagnosed with extensive-stage (ES) disease, defined as cancer that has spread throughout or beyond the lungs or exceeds an area that can be treated with radiation alone.^28,29 In Europe, the estimated prevalence of SCLC is 1-5 per 10,000 people.³⁰ ES-SCLC is associated with a very poor prognosis, with a median OS of 8-13 months and an expected 2-year survival rate of only 5%.³¹

What is NSCLC?³²

NSCLC originates in the cells that line the surface of the lungs and airways. There are several types of NSCLC. Common types include:

• Squamous cell carcinoma: Forms in squamous cells, the thin, flat cells that line the inner surfaces of the lungs. Squamous cell carcinoma is also known as epidermoid carcinoma.
• Large-cell carcinoma: Forms in several types of large, undifferentiated cells. It is a rare and aggressive cancer associated with a poor prognosis.
• Adenocarcinoma: Forms in mucus-producing cells that line alveoli, the tiny air sacs within the lungs

What is SCLC?

SCLC forms in the neuroendocrine tissues of the lungs. There are two main types:^33,34

• Small cell carcinoma: Also known as oat cell carcinoma. These tumors grow in neuroendocrine tissue. They often originate in the lungs but can spread to other neuroendocrine tissues throughout the body.³⁵
• Combined small cell carcinoma: A specific subtype in which a mixture of both small cell carcinoma cells and NSCLC cells are present.³⁶

Our Lung Cancer Research

We’re studying scientific-driven targets with diverse modalities to treat lung cancer. Learn more about our investigational medicines for lung cancer on our Pipeline page.

Signs & Symptoms³⁷

Lung cancer typically causes few or no symptoms until it has advanced. Symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath
• Coughing that lingers or worsens over time, or coughing up blood
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Trouble breathing or wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Difficulty swallowing
• Recurring infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia
• Swelling in the face or the veins of the neck

What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer originates in the breasts, typically starting in the milk ducts or the lobules of the breast (the glands that make milk). Breast cancer occurs predominantly in women, but men can develop breast cancer too.³⁸

Breast cancer accounts for close to one in four cancer cases and one in six cancer deaths in women worldwide.³⁹ Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cancer and the fourth highest cause of cancer mortality, as well as the leading cause of cancer death in women.³⁹ More than 2.3 million patients were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, and over 666,000 deaths were reported globally.³⁹

Our Breast Cancer Research

We’re studying scientific-driven targets with diverse modalities to treat breast cancer. Learn more about our investigational medicines for breast cancer on our Pipeline page.

Signs & Symptoms⁴⁰

Regular self-exams and screening can help detect signs of breast cancer early, with the most common sign being a new lump or mass. Other possible symptoms include:

• Swelling of all or part of a breast
• Skin dimpling
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple retraction
• Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking or thickened
• Nipple discharge
• Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collar bone

We are advancing research to bring novel treatments to patients who need more therapeutic options, including those with head and neck cancers like nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and those with genitourinary cancers, such as bladder cancer, urothelial cancer and prostate cancer.

What Are Head and Neck Cancers?

Head and neck cancers include cancers that affect the mouth, throat or other parts of the head and neck. These cancers represent about 4.5% of cancer diagnoses worldwide. One type of head and neck cancers is nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), which accounts for over 120,000 new diagnoses and 73,000 deaths per year worldwide.⁴¹

Signs & Symptoms of Head and Neck Cancers

Symptoms differ depending on the type of head and neck cancer, but may include:⁴²

• A persistent sore throat
• Persistent earaches or symptoms of ear infections (especially when the ear looks normal to a healthcare provider)
• Frequent headaches
• Pain in the face or neck that doesn’t go away
• Pain in the upper teeth
• Pain when chewing or swallowing
• Hoarseness or voice changes
• Trouble breathing or speaking

What are Genitourinary Cancers?

Genitourinary cancers affect the genital and urinary organs. The most common types of genitourinary cancers include prostate cancer, with approximately 1,467,000 cases in 2022; and bladder cancer, with 614,000 cases in 2022.³⁹ The most common type of bladder cancer, accounting for more than 90% of bladder cancers, is urothelial cancer.^43,44

Signs & Symptoms⁴⁵

• Blood in semen
• Bone pain
• Difficulty with erections
• Feeling the need to urinate, even when the bladder isn’t full
• Scrotal swelling
• Urinary frequency and urgency
• Blood in the urine
• Decreased urinary stream
• Discomfort in the pelvic area
• Lumps in or to the side of the abdomen
• Pain in the back, side or abdomen
• Sudden, unexpected weight loss
• Trouble urinating

Our Research

We’re studying scientific-driven targets with diverse modalities to treat other cancers. Learn more about our investigational medicines for head and neck and genitourinary cancers on our Pipeline page.