New York: A new clinical trial reveals that combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy significantly improves outcomes for patients with stomach and esophageal cancers. The study, published June 1 in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that patients treated with durvalumab alongside standard chemotherapy were much more likely to achieve remission.
Durvalumab is an intravenous drug that enhances the immune system’s ability to identify and destroy cancer cells.
Currently used for several cancers including lung and bladder, durvalumab’s effectiveness against stomach and esophageal cancers marks a breakthrough, said lead researcher Dr. Yelena Janjigian of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Stomach and esophageal cancers remain deadly, with cure rates near 40% and most relapses occurring within three years of surgery. In this trial, 474 patients were randomly assigned to receive either durvalumab or a placebo in addition to chemotherapy.
About 19% of patients on durvalumab had no cancer detected during surgery, compared to only 7% in the placebo group.
Two years after treatment, 67% of the durvalumab group were alive without cancer progression versus 58% with placebo.
Adding durvalumab did not delay surgery or recovery, and serious side effects were similar in both groups. AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of durvalumab, funded the trial.
This development offers new hope to patients facing these challenging diagnoses.
