Advances in the treatment of gastric cancer: 2020–2021

Purpose of review To review studies from 2020 to 2021 in esophagogastric cancer. Recent findings After up front D2 gastrectomy for lymph node-positive gastric cancer, 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 and oxaliplatin achieved superior disease-free survival (DFS) compared with 1 year of S-1. The addition of adjuvant radiotherapy, however, added no benefit. After chemoradiotherapy and surgery in esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer, in patients with residual disease found at surgery, 1 year of adjuvant nivolumab substantially improved DFS compared with observation alone, leading to regulatory approval for adjuvant nivolumab. In metastatic esophagogastric cancer, the addition of either pembrolizumab or nivolumab to first-line chemotherapy improved response, disease free, and overall survival with the greatest survival benefit dependent on programmed death receptor ligand, programmed death receptor ligand -1 status, leading to regulatory approval for these agents. A preliminary report of a phase 3 trial adding pembrolizumab to first-line chemotherapy with trastuzumab in HER2-positive gastric cancer reported a significant improvement in response, leading to regulatory approval for pembrolizumab. The fibroblast growth factor receptor appears to be a promising new target in gastroesophageal cancer based on phase 2 data for bemarituzumab. Summary Optimal adjuvant chemotherapy after D2 resection of node-positive gastric cancer is 6 months of a flu...
Source: Current Opinion in Gastroenterology - Category: Gastroenterology Tags: STOMACH AND DUODENUM: Edited by Tilak U. Shah Source Type: research