Efficacy and safety of trastuzumab deruxtecan and nivolumab as third- or later-line treatment for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer: A single-institution retrospective study.

Abstract

265 Background: Despite the difficulty of directly comparing trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and nivolumab as third- or later-line treatment for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (AGC) in randomized trials, discussions regarding optimal treatment strategies are desired. Methods: This single-institution retrospective study aimed to describe the real-world efficacy and safety of T-DXd and nivolumab as third- or later-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive AGC treated between March 2016 and May 2022. Results: Overall, 58 patients (median age, 64 years; 69% male) were eligible (T-DXd group, n = 20; nivolumab group, n = 38). Most had HER2 3+ (72%) and presented with metastatic disease at diagnosis (66%). Response rates in the 41 patients with measurable lesions were 50% and 15% in the T-DXd and nivolumab groups, respectively. The T-DXd and nivolumab groups had a median progression-free survival of 4.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.3–7.0) and 2.3 months (95% CI, 1.5–3.5), median overall survival of 10.8 months (95% CI, 6.9–23.8) and 11.7 months (95% CI, 7.6–17.1), and grade 3 or greater adverse event rates of 50% and 2%, respectively. Overall, 64% received subsequent treatment. Among 23 patients who received both regimens, the T-DXd–nivolumab and nivolumab–T-DXd groups had a median overall survival of 14.0 months (95% CI, 5.0–not reached) and 19.3 months (95% CI, 9.5–25.1), respectively. Conclusions: T-DXd and nivolumab had distinctive efficacy and toxicity profiles as third- or later-line treatment for HER2-positive AGC. Considering the distinct features of each regimen might help clinicians personalize the optimal treatment approaches for patients with HER2-positive AGC.