Safety and efficacy of the FLOT regimen in the Polish population - an analysis of the prospective trial.

Abstract

As gastric cancer is associated with poor prognosis, the preferred management of locally advanced gastric cancer (GC) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer in European patients is perioperative chemotherapy using the FLOT regimen. Previously published data demonstrate that such treatment is associated with improved disease-free survival (DFS) as well as overall survival (OS) compared to ECF/ECX regimen. In order to collect biomaterial for the identification of serum biomarkers of an early response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we performed a prospective study and here, we report the safety and clinical efficacy of this prospective cohort. It was an academic, nonrandomized, prospective study, conducted at Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, Poland. Between January 2018 and November 2019, we analyzed a total of 61 patients aged 30-77 (median 63 years, 52.5% males and 47.5% females) with histologically confirmed GC or GEJ cancer. The patients were qualified by a multidisciplinary team for perioperative treatment (FLOT regimen). All cases of reported adverse events were recorded and analyzed. All patients received G-CSF prophylactically. After gastrectomy, an assessment of pathological regression was performed according to the Becker classification. A total of 93.4% (57) patients completed four cycles of preoperative chemotherapy and 78.7% (48) received postoperative chemotherapy. All of them experienced grade 1/2 toxicities. The common AE G1/G2 in preoperative versus postoperative chemotherapy were: fatigue (75% vs. 60%), anemia (64% vs. 62%), nausea (60% vs. 60%), peripheral neuropathy (60% vs. 60%), and oral mucositis (59% vs. 50%), respectively. Only 24.6% (15) had G3/4 adverse events during preoperative chemotherapy and only 20.8% (10) during postoperative chemotherapy. The estimated DFS at 3 years was 53% (95% CI 40.5-66.1%) and the estimated OS at 3 years was 60.2% (95% CI 45.1-72.3%). FLOT regimen significantly improved GC and GEJ cancer patients' prognosis with acceptable side-effect profiles.