Abstract
Objective. Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of the cancer mortality worldwide. It is most often diagnosed at a locally advanced or metastatic stage. Angiogenesis has become an important target in the treatment of solid tumors, and antiangiogenic agents are a promising approach to cancer therapy. In this review, we summarize the current literature on the treatment of gastric and gastroesophageal cancer with ramucirumab, an antiangiogenic agent specifically targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Material and methods. We conducted a systematic search in May 2016 of PubMed and relevant congress proceedings including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology, and the European Cancer Congress. Included studies were aimed to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal cancer. Results. Our search yielded 91 publications including 5 manuscripts and 6 congress abstracts meeting the predefined inclusion criteria. Included studies reported outcomes were related to ramucirumab in gastric cancer, published within the past 5 years. Conclusion. Second-line treatment with ramucirumab, either as monotherapy or in combination with paclitaxel, significantly improves the survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Ramucirumab is well tolerated and has an acceptable safety profile. Furthermore, the patient quality of life is maintained with delayed both symptom worsening and deterioration of the functional status. Studies are required to identify potential predictive biomarkers of ramucirumab efficacy.
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