Gastrointestinal Cancers

A comprehensive analysis of immune checkpoints in gastric adenocarcinoma found that ICOSLG and CD70 are associated with immune infiltration and may potentially serve as prognostic biomarkers. Read More ›

Phase 2 study results of second-line trastuzumab deruxtecan use in patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer revealed an antitumor response. Read More ›

On May 5, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck & Co), in combination with trastuzumab plus fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. Read More ›

Bemarituzumab, an investigational first-in-class humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to FGFR2b, improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) when added to modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) chemotherapy in patients with FGFR2b-positive advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer in the phase 2 FIGHT clinical trial. Read More ›

The HER2-targeted bispecific investigational antibody zanidatamab, either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy, has shown promising antitumor activity in an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial of patients with HER2-expressing biliary tract cancer or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, reported Funda Meric-Bernstam, MD, Chair, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, at the 2021 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. Read More ›

Second-line treatment with a 3-drug regimen that included the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo), the VEGF receptor antagonist ramucirumab (Cyramza), and chemotherapy with the taxane paclitaxel, showed durable and impressive response rates, regardless of PD-L1 expression, in patients with advanced gastric cancers. Shuichi Hironaka, MD, PhD, Chiba Cancer Center, Japan, reported the study results at the 2020 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

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The FDA approval of avapritinib marks the first time a drug has been approved specifically for patients with GIST harboring PDGFRA exon 18 mutations, which are involved in approximately 10% of GIST cases. Read More ›

Sorafenib (Nexavar) in combination with transcatheter ­arterial chemoembolization (TACE) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS), with no unexpected adverse results, compared with TACE alone in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to results from the phase 2 TACTICS clinical trial. Read More ›

Understanding the complex relationship between the PD-1 receptor, its ligand 1 (PD-L1), and mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) status may help to improve treatment outcomes in patients with resectable gastric and esophageal cancer, according to a retrospective tissue-based analysis. Read More ›