Gastrointestinal Cancer

Transarterial chemoembolization combined with lenvatinib plus sintilimab was safe and effective for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lenvatinib was effective in treating patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation and demonstrated manageable toxicities.

Nivolumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated a durable survival benefit for patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer, according to updated findings from the CheckMate 649 trial.

Sintilimab plus standard-of-care chemotherapy failed to demonstrate a significant improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival vs standard-of-care chemotherapy alone but did result in an improved objective response rate in patients with metastatic or recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma, according to findings from the phase 3 CISPD3 trial.

The oral fluoropyrimidine derivative S-1 led to improved survival when used as adjuvant therapy compared with surgery alone in patients with biliary tract cancers.

Adagrasib monotherapy demonstrated encouraging clinical activity in patients with previously treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and other non–colorectal gastrointestinal tumors that harbor KRAS G12C mutations.

The FDA has granted an orphan drug designation to silmitasertib for use as a potential therapeutic option in patients with biliary tract cancer.

Although pembrolizumab monotherapy showed noninferiority to chemotherapy for overall survival in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma and a PD-L1 combined positive score of 1 or higher, and a clinically meaningful benefit over chemotherapy in those with a CPS of 10 or higher, pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy failed to show superiority over chemotherapy alone in either subset.

The presence of Arthrobacter and fatty acid metabolism pathways in gut microbiomes may be linked to an increased risk of skin-related adverse events in patients with advanced gastric cancer who are receiving single-agent nivolumab.

Neoadjuvant nivolumab plus ipilimumab followed by adjuvant nivolumab elicited a pathologic complete response rate of 59% in patients with resectable microsatellite instable or mismatch repair deficient oeso-gastric junction adenocarcinoma.

The FDA’s Office of Orphan Products Development has granted an orphan drug designation to the multitumor-associated antigen-specific T-cell therapy, MT-601, for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.

The combination of durvalumab and tremelimumab demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival vs sorafenib as frontline therapy in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, according to findings from the phase 3 HIMALAYA trial.

Treatment with the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin resulted in significantly improved overall survival vs placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to CYNK-101 in combination with standard frontline chemotherapy, trastuzumab, and pembrolizumab for patients with advanced HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Chih-Yi (Andy) Liao, MD, discusses the focus of each presentation at the webinar, which centered on optimizing therapy in advanced pancreatic cancer, the contemporary use of surgery and systemic therapy in NETs, multidisciplinary approaches to hepatocellular carcinoma, and the evolving role of liver transplant and systemic therapy.

Moh’d Khushman, MD, discusses best practices in the management of gastrointestinal cancers.

Molecular testing is an established and essential precursor to treatment for patients with non–small cell lung cancer based on the volume of actionable targets, such as EGFR and KRAS G12C mutations, as well as PD-L1 status.

Ashish Manne, MBBS, discusses the need to develop novel therapies for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma without preserved liver function.

Throughout 2021, investigators of several pivotal trials presented findings that may result in shifting standards for the treatment of patients across tumor types.

Syma Iqbal, MD, shares the main highlights from an IPC meeting, which centered on the evolving landscapes and importance of implementing best practices for patients with hepatobiliary cancers, locally advanced and advanced pancreatic cancer, advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer, and metastatic colorectal cancer.

With the rapid uptake of novel therapies, including immunotherapy and targeted therapy, shifts in treatment strategies are anticipated in hepatobiliary cancers, locally advanced and advanced pancreatic cancer, gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancers, and metastatic colorectal cancer.

A biologics license application has been submitted to the FDA seeking the approval of a proposed biosimilar for trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that is utilized in the treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and metastatic gastric cancers.

Dr. Hochster provides insight into the current gastric/GEJ landscape, spotlighting molecular testing approaches, the roles of chemoimmunotherapy combinations, ongoing research with biomarkers of response, and optimal treatment sequencing for patients with HER2-positive disease.

Ulka Nitin Vaishampayan, MBBS, discusses the utility of FGFR inhibitors in ​metastatic urothelial cancer.

Sam Klempner, MD; Daniel H. Ahn, DO; Nataliya V. Uboha, MD, PhD; and Manish A. Shah, MD, FASCO, review recent updates in second-line gastric cancer, CAR T-cell therapy in solid tumors, and colorectal cancer presented at ESMO 2021.