Trifluridine/tipiracil with and without ramucirumab for advanced gastric cancer: a comparative observational study

Abstract

The combination of trifluridine/tipiracil hydrochloride (FTD/TPI) plus ramucirumab has demonstrated clinical activity in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of this combination compared with those of FTD/TPI monotherapy in patients with AGC. We retrospectively reviewed data of patients with AGC who received FTD/TPI plus ramucirumab or FTD/TPI monotherapy as third- or later-line treatment. This study included 36 patients treated with FTD/TPI plus ramucirumab and 70 patients receiving FTD/TPI monotherapy. The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 25.8% and 58.1%, respectively, in the FTD/TPI plus ramucirumab group and 5.0% and 38.3%, respectively, in the FTD/TPI group (ORR, P = 0.007; DCR, P = 0.081). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in the FTD/TPI plus ramucirumab group (median PFS, 2.9 vs. 1.8 months; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.52; P = 0.001). A numerical survival benefit was also observed (median overall survival, 7.9 months vs. 5.0 months; HR: 0.68, P = 0.089). In the multivariate analysis, PFS was significantly longer in the FTD/TPI plus ramucirumab group than in the FTD/TPI monotherapy group (HR: 0.61, P = 0.030). The incidence of febrile neutropenia was higher in the FTD/TPI plus ramucirumab group than in the FTD/TPI group (13.8% vs. 2.9%); however, no new safety signals were identified. Compared with FTD/TPI monotherapy, FTD/TPI plus ramucirumab offers clinical benefits with acceptable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with AGC. Further investigation via randomized trials is warranted to confirm these findings.