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Author(s):
Harry H. Yoon, MD, discusses the updated results of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-061 trial in advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer.
Harry H. Yoon, MD, associate professor of oncology, consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, co-chair, Esophageal/Gastric Cancer Disease Group, Mayo Clinic, discusses the updated results of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-061 trial in advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer.
Prior to the KEYNOTE-061 trial, randomized data suggested that nivolumab (Opdivo) was superior to placebo in patients with previously treated advanced gastric/GEJ cancer, says Yoon. However, data also showed that PD-L1 inhibitors did not outperform chemotherapy as third-line treatment.
The KEYNOTE-061 study randomized previously treated patients with PD-L1–positive advanced gastric/GEJ cancer to receive pembrolizumab (Keytruda) or paclitaxel in the second-line setting, Yoon explains. The long-term findings showed that pembrolizumab elicited a shorter progression-free survival and similar overall survival compared with chemotherapy.
Further research is needed to determine why the PFS was shorter but the OS was sustained, Yoon concludes.