Recurrent Advanced Gastric Cancer Research Articles

The Gustave Roussy Immune score is a powerful biomarker for predicting therapeutic resistance to chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients.

It is highly important to be able to predict the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy on patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer (GC). The Gustave Roussy Immune Score (GRIm-s) is a predictor of therapeutic sensitivity to chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in other cancers. The present study aimed to analyze the association of the GRIm-s with the therapeutic sensitivity of first-line chemotherapy in GC patients. We included 156 patients receiving primary chemotherapy treatment for unresectable or advanced recurrent GC between January 2012 and December 2021 at our institution. We evaluated the correlation between the GRIm-s and therapeutic sensitivities to chemotherapy. The GRIm-s was assessed before the start of first-line chemotherapy. Among the 156 patients, 138 (88.5%) and 18 (11.5%) were classified in the low- and high-risk groups, respectively. The GRIm-s high-risk group was significantly older (p = 0.013), had more advanced unresectable cancer (p = 0.0098), and was significantly less likely to progress to second-line chemotherapy (p = 0.014). The overall survival rate (OS) (p = 0.039) and the progression free survival rate (PFS) (p = 0.017) were significantly worse in the GRIm-s high-risk group. The high GRIm-s was an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in multivariate analysis (p = 0.0094). Focusing on the GRIm-s before first-line chemotherapy initiation for unresectable advanced or postoperative recurrent GC was useful in predicting the therapeutic resistance to chemotherapy, transition to second-line chemotherapy, and poor prognosis.

Phosphoproteomic subtyping of gastric cancer reveals dynamic transformation with chemotherapy and guides targeted cancer treatment

There are only a few effective molecular targeted agents for advanced unresectable or recurrent advanced gastric cancer (AGC), which has a poor prognosis with a median survival time of less than 14months. Focusing on phosphorylation signaling in cancer cells, we have been developing deep phosphoproteome analysis from minute endoscopic biopsy specimens frozen within 20s of collection. Phosphoproteomic analysis of 127 fresh-frozen endoscopic biopsy samples from untreated patients with AGC revealed three subtypes reflecting different cellular signaling statuses. Subsequent serial biopsy analysis has revealed the dynamic mesenchymal transitions within cancer cells, along with the concomitant rewiring of the kinome network, ultimately resulting in the conversion to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) subtype throughout treatment. We present our investigation of intracellular signaling related to the EMT in gastric cancer and propose therapeutic approaches targeting AXL. This study also provides a wealth of resources for the future development of treatments and biomarkers for AGC.

A real-world survey on expensive drugs used as first-line chemotherapy in patients with HER2-negative unresectable advanced/recurrent gastric cancer in the stomach cancer study group of the Japan clinical oncology group.

Molecular-targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors have been developed for various malignant diseases, thereby improving clinical outcomes. However, these drugs are expensive, and few studies have assessed their actual use and costs in Japan. This study aimed to survey the use and costs of first-line chemotherapy for advanced/recurrent gastric cancer (AGC) in real-world settings. The survey included patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor type2 (HER2)-negative AGC who initiated first-line chemotherapy from January 2022 to December 2022 at the participating 92 institutions in the Japan Clinical Oncology Group. Data on the regimens were collected using Google Forms. A regimen that costs >500 000 Japanese yen (JPY) per month was defined as expensive. Data on chemotherapy regimens were collected from 2173 patients at all 92 institutions between March 2023 and May 2023. We analyzed 2113 patients who underwent the chemotherapy with recommended regimens and conditionally recommended regimens according to the Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines sixth edition. The expensive regimens were triplet chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine (S-1 or capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil/levofolinate), oxaliplatin, and nivolumab. Their monthly costs ranged from 767 648 to 771 046 JPY. Nivolumab-containing regimens cost more than 20 times the price of conventional chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin. These regimens were used in 1416 (67%) of 2113 patients: in 71% of patients aged ≤74years and in 59% of patients aged ≥75years. The regimens with >20-fold cost of conventional chemotherapy were used as first-line chemotherapy in two-thirds of patients and more than half even in the elderly population with HER2-negative AGC. This finding is important for future health economic studies on drug cost-efficacy.

The prognostic impact of the lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio in patients with unresectable or recurrent advanced gastric cancer treated with first- and second-line treatment.

The goal of this study was to determine which markers are the most useful as first- and second-line pre-treatment markers in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer (URGC). This study included 101 URGC patients who were treated with first- and second-line chemotherapy. Several prognostic scores based on nutrition and inflammation were analyzed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine the most useful prognostic marker. The lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) had the highest area under the curve for both first- and second-line chemotherapy, according to an ROC analysis. An ROC analysis was used to determine the optimal LCR cut-off for the median survival time before first- and second-line chemotherapy, and patients were divided into high- and low-LCR groups. Patients with a high LCR had a significantly longer survival than those with a low LCR before first- and second-line chemotherapy (p = 0.004, p < 0.001, respectively). A low LCR before both first- and second-line chemotherapy was an independent poor prognostic factor in a multivariate analysis. URGC patients with a low LCR before both first- and second-line chemotherapy had a significantly worse prognosis than those with a high LCR in this study. Nutritional intervention during chemotherapy induction may lead to a better prognosis.

Clinical Implication of DNA Damage Response Genes in Advanced Gastric Cancer Stage IV and Recurrent Gastric Cancer Patients After Gastrectomy Treated Palliative Chemotherapy.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DNA damage response (DDR)-related protein expression and the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer stage IV and recurrent advanced gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy treated with palliative first-line chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: A total of 611 gastric cancer patients underwent D2 radical gastrectomy at Chung-Ang University Hospital between January 2005 and December 2017, of which 72 patients who received gastrectomy treatment with palliative chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. We performed the immunohistochemical assessment of MutL Homolog 1 (MLH1), MutS Homolog 2 (MSH2), at-rich interaction domain 1 (ARID1A), poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1), breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1), and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples. In addition, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression models were used to evaluate independent predictors of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Among the 72 patients studied, immunohistochemical staining analysis indicated deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) in 19.4% of patients (n = 14). The most common DDR gene with suppressed expression was PARP-1 (n = 41, 56.9%), followed by ATM (n = 26, 36.1%), ARID1A (n = 10, 13.9%), MLH1 (n = 12, 16.7%), BRCA1 (n = 11, 15.3%), and MSH2 (n = 3, 4.2%). HER2 (n = 6, 8.3%) and PD-L1 (n = 3, 4.2%) were expressed in 72 patients. The dMMR group exhibited a significantly longer median OS than the MMR proficient (pMMR) group (19.9 months vs. 11.0 months; hazard ratio [HR] 0.474, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.239-0.937, P = 0.032). The dMMR group exhibited a significantly longer median PFS than the pMMR group (7.0 months vs. 5.1 months; HR= 0.498, 95% CI = 0.267-0.928, P = 0.028). Conclusions: Of stage IV gastric cancer and recurrent gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy, the dMMR group had a better survival rate than the pMMR group. Although dMMR is a predictive factor for immunotherapy in advanced gastric cancer, further studies are needed to determine whether it is a prognostic factor for gastric cancer patients treated with palliative cytotoxic chemotherapy.

120P Clinical implication of DNA damage response gene in advanced gastric cancer stage IV and recurrent gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy treated palliative chemotherapy

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DNA damage response (DDR)-related protein expression and clinical outcomes of patients with in gastric cancer stage IV and recurrent advanced gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy treated palliative 1st line chemotherapy.

CA19-9 in combination with P-CRP as a predictive marker of immune-related adverse events in patients with recurrent or unresectable advanced gastric cancer treated with nivolumab

BackgroundImmune-check point inhibitors (ICPIs) for treatment of cancer patients sometimes induce potentially life-threatening immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which predict ICPIs treatment efficacy. Prediction of irAEs would be useful for management of irAEs and prediction of ICPIs efficacy. This study aimed to determine predictors of irAEs in patients with recurrent or unresectable advanced gastric cancer (RUGC) treated with nivolumab.MethodsSeventy-eight RUGC patients treated with nivolumab at nine institutions between January 2017 and April 2020 were included in this study. The usefulness of specific blood test results as predictors of irAEs was evaluated.ResultsWe observed irAEs in 15 (19.2%) patients. The disease control rate was significantly higher in the patients with irAEs than in those without (86.7% vs. 42.9%; P < 0.001). The median progression-free survival was significantly longer for patients with irAEs than for patients without (4.9 vs. 2.6 months; P = 0.018). The median survival time was longer for patients with irAEs than for those without (9.4 vs. 5.8 months; P = 0.041). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for irAEs indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) of carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA19-9) was highest (0.692; P = 0.022), followed by that for the platelet count × serum C-reactive protein (P-CRP) value (0.680; P = 0.032). The AUC for the CA19-9 + P-CRP combination was 0.782, which was more useful than that for either component and significantly associated with overall survival of nivolumab-treated RUGC patients.ConclusionsThe CA19-9 + P-CRP combination was predictive of irAEs and prognosis in RUGC patients.

A phase II multicenter trial assessing the efficacy and safety of first-line S-1 + ramucirumab in elderly patients with advanced/recurrent gastric cancer: KSCC1701

BackgroundThe mainstream first-line chemotherapy for advanced/recurrent gastric cancer (ARGC) is combination therapy including platinum-based agents. With the progressive aging of the society, the incidence of gastric cancer in elderly patients is increasing. However, elderly patients cannot tolerate these agents because of renal dysfunction or low quality of life. The KSCC1701 study explored the efficacy and safety of S-1 + ramucirumab in elderly patients with ARGC. Patients and methodsChemotherapy-naive patients aged ≥70 years with ARGC were eligible. Patients received S-1 (40–60 mg twice daily for 4 weeks in 6-week cycles) and ramucirumab (8 mg/kg every 2 weeks) until disease progression. The primary end-point was the 1-year overall survival (OS) rate. The anticipated lower threshold of 1-year survival was set at 40% in light of previous S-1–based regimens. The secondary end-points included progression-free survival (PFS), OS, the overall response rate (ORR) and safety. ResultsBetween September 2017 and November 2019, 48 patients (34 men and 14 women) were enrolled in this study. The median patient age was 77.5 years, and all patients had a performance status of 0 (n = 20) or 1 (n = 28). The 1-year OS rate was 65.2%, which met the primary end-point. The median survival time and median PFS were 16.4 and 5.8 months, respectively. The ORR was 41.9%. The most frequent grade 3/4 (≥15%) adverse events were neutropenia, anorexia and anaemia. ConclusionConsidering these findings, S-1 + ramucirumab appears to be an excellent treatment option for elderly patients with ARGC. (250 words).This trial has been registered with the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials Registry under the number jRCTs071180066.

Clinical Progress in Inoperable or Recurrent Advanced Gastric Cancer Treatment from 1004 Single Institute Experiences Between 2007 and 2018.

BackgroundIn the past decade, several successful clinical trials provided new therapeutic agents approved for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). This study evaluated whether these practice-changing results actually altered the clinical practice.Patients and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed medical records of treatment-naive AGC patients who received combination chemotherapy of fluoropyrimidine and platinum between 2007 and 2018 and divided them into three groups: Groups A (2007-10), B (2011-14), and C (2015-2018), respectively. We compared the clinicopathological features, treatment details, and clinical outcomes among the three groups.ResultsIn total, 1004 consecutive patients were enrolled (A; n = 254, B; n = 300, and C; n = 450). The number of patients with poor performance status, older age, esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma, and primary tumor increased during the study period. All groups had similar median overall survival (OS); ~16 months) without any statistical difference but steady prolongation of survival was observed in the adjusted with imbalance prognostic factors among groups (B/A; hazard ratio, HR 0.82, 95% C.I 0.68-0.98, C/A; HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.60-0.86); OS of HER2-positive AGC patients was clearly improved (HER2-positive vs HER2-negative in Group B, HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.60-1.06; Group C, HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51-0.90) but that of diffuse-type AGC patients remained dismal.ConclusionsThe increasing availability of chemotherapy options potentially contributed to improved survival of AGC patients, but expanded chemotherapeutic indications made the survival benefit inconspicuous in the whole population. Future therapeutic development for the AGC subset not adequately receiving benefit from previous clinical trials is warranted.

1391P Clinical progress in inoperable or recurrent advanced gastric cancer treatment from 1,004 single institute experiences between 2007 and 2018

Several successes of clinical trials provide new agents into clinical practice of Advanced Gastric Cancer (AGC) over past ten years. It remains unknown whether these practice-changing results actually change our clinical practice.

Identifying prognostic factors associated with overall survival in second-line paclitaxel plus ramucirumab treated human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced/recurrent gastric cancer.

This study aimed to identify the overall survival prolongation index in patients who received paclitaxel plus ramucirumab as second line chemotherapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2-negative advanced/ recurrent gastric cancer (AGC). We included 77 patients who underwent second line chemotherapy (paclitaxel plus ramucirumab) for AGC at our institution between January 2015 and September 2020. To determine factors associated with survival, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, and hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. In the multivariate analysis, grade ≥1 neutropenia (yes) and the number of anti-cancer drugs used (≥5) were independently and significantly associated with survival. Compared to the patients without grade ≥1 neutropenia, patients with grade ≥1 neutropenia had a survival hazard ratio of 0.455 (95% CI: 0.214-0.966; p = 0.040). The median second line treatment durations in patients with grade ≥1 neutropenia (n = 54) and in those without grade ≥1 neutropenia (n = 23) were 133 days (95% CI, 98-190 days) and 70 days (95% CI, 41-128 days), respectively (log-rank test, p = 0.026). This study demonstrated that AGC patients with initial neutropenia may benefit from paclitaxel plus ramucirumab therapy.

Progression-free survival (PFS) as a surrogate endpoint for overall survival (OS) in advanced/recurrent gastric cancer (AGC) treatment: Individual-patient-data (IPD) based meta-analysis of randomized trials.

e16506 Background: In 2013, the GASTRIC (Global Advanced/Adjuvant Stomach Tumor Research through International Collaboration) evaluated the surrogacy of PFS based on IPD of 4,069 patients from 20 randomized trials of AGC. Treatment effects on PFS and on OS were only moderately correlated, and we could not validate PFS as a surrogate endpoint for OS. More recent trials, with refined inclusion criteria and higher standards for evaluating progression, may allow for a more accurate estimate of the correlation. The 2nd round of the GASTRIC sought to re-evaluate the surrogacy of PFS for OS in AGC. Methods: The GASTRIC database was updated with trials published after 2010 which used RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors). Since the proportional hazards assumption was questionable for PFS, we primarily used mean-time ratio as a treatment effect measure, estimated by using the log-logistic model. Using the meta-analytic approach, correlations between PFS and OS at the individual level (Rindiv), and between treatment effects on PFS and on OS at the trial level (Rtrial), were estimated using Spearman’s rank-correlation and estimation-error-adjusted regression, respectively. Surrogate threshold effect was estimated as well. Results: We analyzed 10,912 patient data (1st round 4,069 patients from 20 trials and 2nd round 6,843 patients from 17 trials). Overall, moderate correlations were found at the individual level (Rindiv = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.75 to 0.76 in Hougaard copula) and at the trial level (Rtrial = 0.77, 95%CI = 0.32 to 1.00), respectively. Surrogate threshold effect was equal to 1.29, i.e., observing 29% increase in mean PFS time would predict a significant increase of the OS time. In the subgroup of patients with measurable disease in the 2nd round dataset (4,866 patients), Rtrial was higher and equal to 0.93 (95%CI = 0.70 to 1.00), with STE equal to 1.21. These results were same for 1st and 2nd line trials. Conclusions: The meta-analysis indicates a strong correlation between treatment effects (expressed as log-mean-ratios) on PFS and OS in patients with measurable disease.

A Case Report of FOLFOX-induced Adverse Events in a Patient with Recurrent Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Korean Medicine

A Case Report of FOLFOX-induced Adverse Events in a Patient with Recurrent Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Korean Medicine

Evaluation of Systemic Inflammatory Response and Nutritional Biomarkers as Predictive Factors in Patients with Recurrent Gastric Cancer

Background: The present study sought to evaluate host-related factors as predictors in patients receiving chemotherapy for recurrent advanced gastric cancer. Methods: Sixty-three patients were enrolled in the study and received chemotherapy for recurrent gastric cancer at the Kochi Medical School from 2008 to 2015. Clinicopathological information and systemic inflammatory response data were obtained retrospectively to investigate associations between baseline cancer-related prognostic variables and survival outcomes. Results: The median survival time was significantly higher for patients with a Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) of 0 compared to a GPS of 1 or 2 (18.2 vs. 7.1 months; p = 0.006), and for patients in the normal range for carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA125) compared to higher levels (17.9 vs. 4.1 months; p = 0.003). There was no significant influence on overall survival by age, gender, disease status, metastatic site, time to recurrence, carcinoembryonic antigen level, CA19–9 level, prognostic nutrition index, or neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio according to the results of the univariate log-rank tests. Multivariate survival analysis identified a GPS of 1 or 2 (hazard ratio, 3.520; 95% confidence interval, 1.343–9.227; p = 0.010) and a high CA125 level (hazard ratio, 3.135; 95% confidence interval, 1.276–7.697; p = 0.013) as significant independent predictors associated with a poorer prognosis in the studied group of cancer patients. Conclusions: A GPS of 1 or 2 and a high level of CA125 are independent predictors of a poorer prognosis in patients receiving chemotherapy for recurrent gastric cancer.

A phase II trial of low-dose nab-paclitaxel for patients with previously treated or recurrent advanced gastric cancer (OGSG1302).

350 Background: Paclitaxel is a key drug in second-line chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent gastric cancer (AGC) and nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PTX) is also widely used in Japan. A previous phase II trial in Japan showed the effectiveness of nab-PTX (260 mg/m2) administered every 3 weeks (q3w) in patients with AGC with a response rate (RR) of 27.8%; however, toxicity was major concern with grade ≥3 neutropenia (49.1%) and peripheral neuropathy (23.6%). To solve this problem, we investigated the efficacy and safety of low-dose q3w nab-PTX regimen in AGC. Methods: Eligibility requirements included: aged ≥20 years, HER2-negative, histologically confirmed, unresectable or recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma, one or more prior chemotherapy containing fluoropyrimidine regimens, presence of measurable lesion(s) according to RECIST ver. 1.1, ECOG PS of 0–2, and adequate organ function. Nab-PTX was administered at a dose of 220 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was the RR. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease-control rate (DCR), incidence of adverse events, relative dose intensity and proportion of patients who received subsequent chemotherapy. Results: Thirty-three patients were enrolled from 10 institutions in Japan. Of the 32 patients treated with protocol therapy, RR (CR, PR) was 3.1% (95% CI, 0–16.2%), which was not reached the protocol-specified threshold (p = 0.966). DCR (CR, PR, SD) was 37.5% (95% CI, 21.1–56.3%), median OS and PFS were 6.3 months (95% CI, 4.4–14.2) and 2.2 months (95% CI, 1.8-3.1). Relative dose intensity was 97.8% (215 mg/m2). 62.5% of patients received subsequent chemotherapy. Most common grade ≥3 adverse events were neutropenia (38%), anemia (13%), fatigue (19%), anorexia (16%), and peripheral neuropathy (13%). Conclusions: Low-dose regimen of q3w nab-PTX was slightly less toxic, although it did not demonstrate the same effect as the original regimen in response rate. Therefore, it is not recommended for AGC in second or later line setting. Clinical trial information: UMIN 000012701.

Abstract 3986: Digital droplet PCR measurement for plasma HER2 amplification in patients with AGC

Abstract Introduction: With the recent introduction of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeted therapies for patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC), determining HER2 status is essential to select the patients who may benefit from this treatment. The current standard method assessing HER2 positivity is immunohistochemistry (IHC) or in situ hybridization assays, but this way of HER2 assessment has weaknesses especially when considering tumor heterogeneity. Using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) technique, we evaluated HER2 amplification in both tissue and plasma samples collected from AGC patients and analyzed clinical implication of HER2 amplification in circulating tumor DNA. Method: Biopsied tissue and plasma samples were collected from patients with metastatic or recurrent AGC who were enrolled in AGC biomarker study conducted at Asan Medical Center. Samples were obtained before the start of anti-cancer treatment. HER2 amplification in DNA from tissue and cell-free DNA from plasma were determined by ddPCR, performed in Kindai University. Results: Samples of 63 patients with HER2 positive GC and 37 patients with HER2 negative GC enrolled between April 2014 and October 2017 were included in the analysis. As expected, the median HER2 copy number (CN) was higher in patients diagnosed as HER2 positive than negative, both for tissue (4.54 vs 0.95, P &amp;lt; 0.001) and plasma (1.49 vs 1.07, P &amp;lt; 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed 83.8% specificity and 69.8% sensitivity for tissue HER2 positivity at 1.17 CN of plasma HER2. In patients receiving anti-HER2 therapy (n=57), there was a trend for worse progression-free survival (PFS) outcome in patients with higher plasma HER2 CN (&amp;gt;1.5 vs ≤1.5), although no statistical significance was seen (median PFS 6.67 vs 8.19 months, P = 0.172). In multivariate Cox regression analysis including the age (&amp;gt;60 vs ≤60), HER2 IHC intensities (2+ vs 3+), and risk groups determined by Koo et al.’s prognostic model (Good vs Moderate vs Poor), higher plasma HER2 CN (&amp;gt;1.5 vs ≤1.5) was significantly associated with poor PFS (HR 2.22, 95% CI 1.14-4.32, P = 0.019). However, when tumor burden (sum of largest diameter of all measurable lesions) was combined as another factor in patients with measurable disease (n=39), plasma HER2 CN was no longer an independent factor (HR 1.38, 95% CI 0.58-3.27, P = 0.466) and larger tumor burden (&amp;gt;6.5cm vs ≤6.5cm) was found to be an independent prognostic factor for poor PFS (HR 2.63, 95% CI 1.12-6.21, P = 0.027), instead. Of note, plasma HER2 CN showed a positive relationship with tumor burden multiplied by tissue HER2 CN in linear regression (β=0.32, P = 0.002). Conclusion: Using the ddPCR technique, we found that plasma HER2 CN was significantly increased in HER2 positive GC patients compared to negative patients. However, plasma HER2 CN did not provide more information on predicting therapeutic effects than the tumor burden in patients receiving anti-HER2 therapy. Citation Format: Kyoungmin Lee, Kazuko Sakai, Min-Hee Ryu, Jae-Joon Kim, Young Soo Park, Young-Soon Na, Jungeun Ma, Hana Na, Kazuto Nishio, Yoon-Koo Kang. Digital droplet PCR measurement for plasma HER2 amplification in patients with AGC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3986.

Comparison of efficacy and tolerance between combination therapy and monotherapy as first-line chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

IntroductionThe combination of a fluoropyrimidine [5-fluorouracil (5-FU), capecitabine, or S-1] with a platinum analog (cisplatin or oxaliplatin) is the most widely accepted first-line chemotherapy regimen for metastatic or recurrent advanced gastric cancer (AGC), based on the results of clinical trials. However, there is little evidence to guide chemotherapy for elderly patients with AGC because of under-representation of this age group in clinical trials. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the optimal chemotherapy regimen for elderly patients with AGC by comparing the efficacies and safeties of combination therapy versus monotherapy as first-line chemotherapy.MethodsThis study is a randomized, controlled, multicenter, phase III trial. A total of 246 elderly patients (≥70 years old) with metastatic or recurrent AGC who have not received previous palliative chemotherapy will be randomly allocated to a combination therapy group or a monotherapy group. Patients randomized to the combination therapy group will receive fluoropyrimidine plus platinum combination chemotherapy (capecitabine/cisplatin, S-1/cisplatin, capecitabine/oxaliplatin, or 5-FU/oxaliplatin), and those randomized to the monotherapy group will receive fluoropyrimidine monotherapy (capecitabine, S-1, or 5-FU). The primary outcome is the overall survival of patients in each treatment group. The secondary outcomes include progression-free survival, response rate, quality of life, and safety.DiscussionWe are conducting this pragmatic trial to determine whether elderly patients with AGC will obtain the same benefit from chemotherapy as younger patients. We expect that this study will help guide decision-making for the optimal treatment of elderly patients with AGC.

Evaluation of Systemic Inflammatory Response Biomarkers in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Unresectable and Recurrent Advanced Gastric Cancer

Background: The present study sought to evaluate an inflammation-based prognostic score (Glasgow prognostic score, GPS) and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as prognostic factors in patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. Methods: The study enrolled 224 patients who received chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer at the Kochi Medical School from 2007 to 2014. Clinicopathological information and systemic inflammatory response data were obtained to investigate associations between baseline cancer-related prognostic variables and survival outcomes. Results: The median survival time was significantly higher for patients with intestinal-type compared to diffuse-type histology (p = 0.039), a GPS 0 score compared to GPS 1 or 2 score (p = 0.004), and lower compared to higher NLR 4 (p = 0.002). Multivariate survival analysis identified high NLR 4 (HR 1.651; 95% CI 1.187-2.297; p = 0.003) and diffuse-type histology (HR 1.645; 95% CI 1.025-2.639; p = 0.039) as significant independent predictors associated with worse prognosis in the studied group of cancer patients. Conclusions: NLR and histological type are independent prognostic factors for patients receiving chemotherapy for unresectable and recurrent gastric cancer.

Value of FGFR2 expression for advanced gastric cancer patients receiving pazopanib plus CapeOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin).

65 Background: The aim of this study was to use immunohistochemistry (IHC) to determine the effect of FGFR2 and VEGFR2 expression on treatment outcomes for patients with metastatic or recurrent advanced gastric cancer (AGC) receiving a combination of pazopanib with CapeOx (capecitabine and oxaliplatin). Methods: We conducted a single-arm, open-label phase II study to determine the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of pazopanib with CapeOx in 66 patients with metastatic or recurrent AGC (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01130805). IHC analysis of FGFR2 and VEGFR2 was possible in 54 patients (81.8%). Results: Among 54 patients, the median age was 51.5 years (range, 23–72 years). Most patients were men (59.3%). Seven patients (13.5%) had tumor tissues that expressed FGFR2 by IHC. No patients had tumors that expressed VEGFR2. Among 7 patients with tumors with FGFR2 expression, 6 achieved partial response (PR) with a 85.7% response rate and one patient with stable disease. Among 47 patients with tumors without FGFR2 expression, one had complete response and 27 had PR (59.5%). A significant difference in PFS was seen between patients who were positive and negative for FGFR2 using IHC (8.5 vs. 5.6 months, p = 0.050). By prognostic analysis for PFS, only FGFR2 status by IHC (positive vs. negative) had significant prognostic value for predicting PFS. Conclusions: FGFR2 expression by IHC might be a useful biomarker for predicting treatment outcomes of patients with metastatic or recurrent AGC treated with a combination of pazopanib and CapeOx.

2318 Prospective phase II trial of pazopanib plus CapeOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) in previously untreated patients with advanced gastric cancer

We designed a single-arm, open label phase II study to determine the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of pazopanib with CapeOx (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) in metastatic /recurrent advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients. Previously untreated AGC patients received capecitabine (850 mg/m2 bid, day 1–14) plus oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2, day 1) in combination with pazopanib (800 mg, day 1–21) every three weeks. Treatment was continued until progression of the disease or intolerable toxicity was observed. In all, 66 patients were treated with pazopanib plus CapeOx. The median age of the patients was 51.5 years (range, 23.0–77), and the median ECOG performance status was 1 (0–1). Among all 66 patients, one complete response and 37 partial responses were observed (overall response rate, 62.4%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 45.7–73.5% accounting for the 2-stage design of this trial). Stable disease was observed in 23 patients (34.8%), revealing a 92.4% disease control rate. The median progression free survival and overall survival were 6.5 months (95% CI, 5.6–7.4) and 10.5 months (95% CI, 8.1–12.9), respectively. Thirty-four patients (51.5%) experienced a treatment-related toxicity of grade 3 or more. The most common toxicities of grade 3 or more were neutropenia (15.1%), anemia (10.6%), thrombocytopenia (10.6%), anorexia (7.6%), nausea (3.0%), and vomiting (3.0%). There were no treatment-related deaths. The combination of pazopanib and CapeOx showed moderate activity and an acceptable toxicity profile as a first-line treatment in metastatic / recurrent AGC patients (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01130805).