This year at ESMO, new research revealed improved methods to personalise treatment for gastric cancer. These approaches could help patients achieve better outcomes and enhance their quality of life.

1. Immunotherapy before and after surgery in stomach and GEJ cancer – MATTERHORN trial

The phase 3 MATTERHORN trial tested adding durvalumab, an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system find and attack cancer cells, to standard FLOT chemotherapy given before and after surgery in patients with resectable (can be removed with surgery) gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer.

Results showed that patients who received durvalumab plus chemotherapy lived longer overall than those who had chemotherapy alone, no matter their PD-L1 status (a biomarker sometimes used to predict response to immunotherapy). The addition of durvalumab also led to more patients having no cancer in their lymph nodes at surgery and better recovery outcomes among those who had strong responses to treatment.

Key takeaway: Adding durvalumab to chemotherapy before and after surgery helps patients with resectable stomach or GEJ cancer live longer and improves treatment responses, regardless of PD-L1 status.

2. Targeted therapy for advanced gastric cancer – FORTITUDE-101 trial
Patients with FGFR2b-positive advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer were treated with a new drug, bemarituzumab, combined with chemotherapy. FGFR2b is a marker found on some stomach cancers that helps doctors identify patients who may benefit from certain targeted treatments.

The study showed improved survival at first, although the benefit decreased over time. Some patients experienced eye-related side effects, which doctors are monitoring closely.

Key takeaway: Bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy can extend survival in FGFR2b-positive advanced gastric cancers, though side effects need careful management.

3. Targeted therapy after trastuzumab – KC WISE trial
The phase 3 KC WISE trial tested a new drug called anbenitamab, which targets the HER2 protein found on some stomach and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers. The study included patients whose cancer had grown or come back after treatment with trastuzumab, another HER2-targeted therapy.

Adding anbenitamab to chemotherapy helped patients live longer and kept their cancer from growing for a longer time compared with chemotherapy alone. More patients also saw their tumours shrink. Side effects were generally manageable, and fewer patients died from treatment-related causes compared with the control group.

Key takeaway: Combining anbenitamab with chemotherapy improved survival and tumour response in HER2-positive stomach and GEJ cancers after trastuzumab, with manageable side effects.

These studies show that digestive cancer care is moving toward more personalised and targeted approaches, aiming to improve outcomes while reducing unnecessary side effects.

Are you a digestive cancer patient, or a carer to someone diagnosed with a digestive cancer? Ask your doctor if any of these new strategies might be relevant for you.

Author:

Natasha Muench