The era of precision oncology is marked with prominent successes in the therapy of advanced soft tissue sarcomas, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and haematological neoplasms, among others. Moreover, recent trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, and head and neck cancers have significantly influenced the therapeutic landscape by providing promising evidence for immunotherapy efficacy in the adjuvant setting in high-risk locoregional disease. To speed up the introduction of targeted therapy for cancer patients, novel phase II trials are being designed, and may likely form the basis for the 'landmark trials' of the future. A special article collection in BMC Medicine, "Spotlight on landmark oncology trials", features articles from invited experts on recent clinical practice-changing trials.
Keywords: Cancer; Clinical trials; Oncology; Randomised trials; Targeted therapy; Trial design.