N. Starling , L. Zhang , K. Dunton , A. Strübing , Y. Xiong , C. Livings , L. Brannman , M.Y. Beykloo , H. Mohamed , N. Trankov , P. Egger
{"title":"Real-world treatment patterns and outcomes in advanced/metastatic gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma treated with first-line anti-HER2 therapy in England","authors":"N. Starling , L. Zhang , K. Dunton , A. Strübing , Y. Xiong , C. Livings , L. Brannman , M.Y. Beykloo , H. Mohamed , N. Trankov , P. Egger","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100242","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100242","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study aimed to examine real-world treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive gastric cancer (GC) or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma receiving anticancer therapy in England.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using the Cancer Analysis System English Cancer Outcomes Services Dataset, we retrospectively analyzed real-world (rw) treatment patterns, overall survival (rwOS), time to treatment discontinuation/death (rwTTD), and time to next treatment/death (rwTTNTD) in adults with inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic GC/GEJ adenocarcinoma on trastuzumab-based first line of treatment (1LoT) between January 2015 and December 2019.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 948 patients included (median age 67.0 years), most were male (82.1%), with GEJ adenocarcinoma (57.4%) and <em>de novo</em> disease (81.8%); 33.3% patients received 2LoT and 6.6% received 3LoT. The most common regimen was capecitabine + cisplatin + trastuzumab in 1LoT (54.9%), paclitaxel in 2LoT (36.4%), and fluorouracil + irinotecan in 3LoT (19.1%). Median (Q1-Q3) rwOS and rwTTD for 1LoT were 11.8 months (6.2-21.5 months) and 6.3 months (3.0-10.6 months), respectively; these reduced to 6.1 months (3.4-11.2 months) and 2.8 months (1.7-4.6 months) for 2LoT, and 5.9 months (3.2-9.5 months) and 2.3 months (1.5-4.6 months) for 3LoT. Median rwTTNTD was 9.0 months (5.1-15.0 months), 5.5 months (3.0-8.5 months), and 5.7 months (3.0-9.2 months) for 1LoT, 2LoT, and 3LoT, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Poor outcomes persist for HER2-positive GC/GEJ adenocarcinoma progressing after 1LoT. More effective treatments, ideally ones targeting HER2, are needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100242"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145220915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
W.Y. Chua , A. Yong , O. Lim , I. Seow-En , D. Chong , E. Wong , S. Han , S.-L. Koo , I. Tan , K.Y.Y. Ng
{"title":"The impact of socioeconomic status on overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"W.Y. Chua , A. Yong , O. Lim , I. Seow-En , D. Chong , E. Wong , S. Han , S.-L. Koo , I. Tan , K.Y.Y. Ng","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Patients are typically diagnosed at an early stage due to widespread use of colonoscopy screenings and stool testing. Despite the efficacy of early detection in CRC, there are concerns about the accessibility of these treatments for patients of lower socioeconomic status (SES), which may lead to poorer outcomes and exacerbate health inequity.</div></div><div><h3>Patients and methods</h3><div>We searched Medline and Embase from inception to 26 April 2024 to identify cohort studies comparing SES indicators and CRC outcomes. We computed hazard ratios (HRs) with accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each study, and pooled the results using a random-effects meta-analysis. Quality assessment was carried out using Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for cohort studies.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this meta-analysis of 37 studies involving 2 017 509 patients, we analysed the impact of SES on overall survival in patients with CRC. All but three studies were conducted in high-income countries. Our main findings demonstrated that lower income (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.23, <em>P</em> < 0.0001), lower educational level (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.17-1.31, <em>P</em> < 0.0001), lower neighbourhood SES (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.19-1.25, <em>P</em> < 0.0001), and lower insurance coverage (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.25-1.32, <em>P</em> < 0.0001) had a negative impact on overall survival in patients with CRC.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Lower income, educational level, insurance coverage, and neighbourhood SES had a negative impact on overall survival in patients with CRC. There is an urgent need to develop and implement interventions to reduce disparities in outcomes for patients with CRC who are of lower SES.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100243"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145220914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Ooki , H. Osumi , K. Shimada , N. Machida , H. Hara , M. Takamatsu , N. Ishizuka , Y. Fukuda , W. Hashimoto , K. Yamaguchi
{"title":"Multicenter prospective EN-MARK study: efficacy of third-line trastuzumab deruxtecan and dynamic changes in biomarkers, including HER2 status","authors":"A. Ooki , H. Osumi , K. Shimada , N. Machida , H. Hara , M. Takamatsu , N. Ishizuka , Y. Fukuda , W. Hashimoto , K. Yamaguchi","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in ∼20% of advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (GEAs). Trastuzumab (T-mab) is the standard first-line treatment for HER2-positive GEA, and trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) has demonstrated clinical efficacy in later-line settings. However, the potential loss of HER2 expression following T-mab treatment raises concerns about the subsequent effectiveness of T-DXd. The temporal dynamics of HER2 expression across treatment lines are not well understood.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>We designed a prospective, single-arm, multicenter study to investigate the association between the efficacy of third-line T-DXd and changes in HER2 status in tumor tissue and blood after first-line T-mab treatment in patients with HER2-positive GEA. The aim is to inform the optimal clinical use of T-DXd. Serial tumor and/or blood re-biopsies will be carried out at each line of treatment following first-line therapy. The study consists of two parts. In part 1, we will evaluate biomarker dynamics—specifically HER2 status and circulating tumor DNA alterations—during second-line therapy. In part 2, we will assess the efficacy and safety of third-line T-DXd in relation to these biomarker changes. Approximately 120 patients will be enrolled in part 1 and 50 in part 2.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100240"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145159274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R.P. Riechelmann , T.C. Felismino , B. Müller , R. D’Alpino Peixoto , D.A. Goldstein
{"title":"Drug dose optimization and substitutions to improve access for patients with gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine cancers","authors":"R.P. Riechelmann , T.C. Felismino , B. Müller , R. D’Alpino Peixoto , D.A. Goldstein","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cost of cancer care has significantly increased, with a major cause being the high cost of new drugs, limiting their access worldwide. Drug dose optimization (DDO) and substitutions may help improve treatment access for patients residing in financially resource-limited countries. We propose and discuss these strategies for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers and neuroendocrine tumors (NET) who are treated in low- and middle-income countries, considering the available scientific evidence. Overall recommendations include dose-reductions of palliative chemotherapy, avoiding colony-stimulation growth factors when unnecessary, lower doses of immune checkpoint inhibitors and paclitaxel as a substitute for nab-paclitaxel. Specific proposals by tumor type are discussed and recommended according to resource availability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100239"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Chau , J. Bridgewater , L. Wyrwicz , M. Greenwood , S.I. Blum , A. Moreno-Koehler , E. Martin , F. Taylor , C. Davis , P. Singh
{"title":"A quality-adjusted time without symptoms and toxicity (Q-TWiST) analysis comparing nivolumab plus ipilimumab or nivolumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in CheckMate 648","authors":"I. Chau , J. Bridgewater , L. Wyrwicz , M. Greenwood , S.I. Blum , A. Moreno-Koehler , E. Martin , F. Taylor , C. Davis , P. Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100235","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>First-line nivolumab plus chemotherapy (NIVO + CHEMO) and nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO + IPI) improves overall survival for patients with advanced esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC). This analysis aimed to use quality-adjusted time without symptoms or toxicity (Q-TWiST) analyses to assess the overall risk–benefit profile of these treatments in the CheckMate 648 study.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>A <em>post hoc</em> analysis of CheckMate 648 assessed the association of quality-adjusted survival with treatment types (first-line NIVO + CHEMO, NIVO + IPI, or CHEMO alone) using the Q-TWiST methodology. The analysis included all randomized patients and those with tumor cell programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) ≥1% at baseline, with a minimum follow-up of 45 months. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the EuroQoL 5-Dimension 3-Level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire. Differences in Q-TWiST exceeding 1.5 months were deemed clinically important.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analysis included 970 patients in the all-randomized population. Q-TWiST values were 12.8 and 12.9 months for NIVO + CHEMO and NIVO + IPI, respectively, compared with 10.8 months for CHEMO alone, showing gains of 2.0 and 2.1 months, respectively. In patients with tumor cell PD-L1 ≥1% (473 patients), Q-TWiST values were higher for NIVO + CHEMO (13.0 months) and NIVO + IPI (13.3 months) compared with CHEMO alone (9.1 months), with gains of 3.9 and 4.2 months, respectively. All gains surpassed the clinically important threshold.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings support NIVO + CHEMO and NIVO + IPI as first-line treatments for patients with advanced ESCC, particularly those with tumor cell PD-L1 ≥1%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100235"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L.M. Veen , A.P. van der Zalm , D. Blangé , P. Manoukian , M. van Mourik , R.R. de Goeij-de Haas , S.R. Piersma , T.V. Pham , C.R. Jimenez , S.L. Meijer , H.W. van Laarhoven , M.F. Bijlsma
{"title":"Proteome and transcriptome analysis reveals tubulin isotype switching in paclitaxel-treated esophageal cancer","authors":"L.M. Veen , A.P. van der Zalm , D. Blangé , P. Manoukian , M. van Mourik , R.R. de Goeij-de Haas , S.R. Piersma , T.V. Pham , C.R. Jimenez , S.L. Meijer , H.W. van Laarhoven , M.F. Bijlsma","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Despite combination therapies, less than half of patients with resectable esophageal cancer (EC) survive beyond 5 years. Previous studies, primarily using transcriptomics, revealed high plasticity in these cancer cells. In other cancer contexts, such plasticity has been demonstrated to also result in aberrant tubulin expression and resistance to taxanes. Given that taxanes are a cornerstone in EC treatment, we established a multi-omics analysis of neoadjuvantly treated EC cells and tissues with a focus on tubulins.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>We applied transcriptomics and proteomics to pretreated EC resection samples and primary cell lines from various treatment settings. RNA-Sequencing and MS-based proteomics data were correlated with clinical outcomes to identify response-associated tubulin genes and proteins. <em>In vitro</em> experiments included lentiviral gene silencing of candidate resistance mediators and pharmacological interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In both the transcriptomics and proteomics datasets, tubulin isoforms that are not typically expressed in the esophagus were found to associate with survival outcome. Specifically, we found that beta-tubulin 3 (TUBB3) was associated with unfavorable outcomes. However, TUBB3 silencing <em>in vitro</em> did not render cells sensitive to taxanes, nor did it prevent transitions to resistant cell states. Pharmacological inhibition did not improve the efficacy of chemoradiation. Instead, we found that TUBB3 is highly correlated with mesenchymal cell states, and that its expression is a consequence of such transitions rather than a cause.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>A neuronal tubulin isoform was found to increase in cells undergoing mesenchymal transition and acquiring resistance. These abundant proteins could serve as biomarkers for acquired therapy resistance in EC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100237"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145061400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Ben-Aharon , N. Fokter Dovnik , H.W.M. van Laarhoven , M.G. Guren , I. Baraibar , N. Gordon , T. Goshen-Lago , R. Verhoeven , T. Sokop , R. Obermannova , F. Lordick
{"title":"Sex differences in the incidence trends of early-onset gastrointestinal cancer—the European/Mediterranean perspective","authors":"I. Ben-Aharon , N. Fokter Dovnik , H.W.M. van Laarhoven , M.G. Guren , I. Baraibar , N. Gordon , T. Goshen-Lago , R. Verhoeven , T. Sokop , R. Obermannova , F. Lordick","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100238","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100238","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>While the rising incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer has been documented worldwide, there is a paucity of data on the epidemiological changes in other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in the young population in Europe. We sought to characterize incidence patterns of GI cancers in young patients in different European/Mediterranean countries.</div></div><div><h3>Patients and methods</h3><div>National cancer registries in several European countries were contacted to obtain the absolute number of GI cancer cases per age group (15-49 years) at 5-year intervals and the absolute population size for each of these age groups annually from 2008 to 2018. Data were analyzed to calculate year-to-year incidence rate change and average annual percentage change.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Seven countries were included in the analysis: the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain. Different trends were observed for different GI cancers. For colorectal cancer, all countries except Germany showed increasing incidence rates in a similar pattern for males and females. An increasing trend in pancreatic cancer was documented in the Czech Republic, more in males, and in Slovenia and Israel significantly more in females. There was a slight increase in Spain and Germany, with no difference by sex. The incidence of early-onset gastric and esophageal cancer was very low and non-rising.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Early-onset cancers along the GI tract show different patterns in different European countries. For some types of GI tumors the incidence was fairly stable between 2008 and 2018 while some were increasing, in particular colorectal cancer in both sexes, and pancreatic cancer in females.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100238"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G.W. Prager , E. Elez , M. Fakih , F. Ciardiello , E. Van Cutsem , L. Roby , W. Yao , E. Choucair , J. Taieb
{"title":"Association between neutropenia and efficacy in patients with refractory mCRC receiving trifluridine/tipiracil + bevacizumab: post hoc analysis of the SUNLIGHT trial","authors":"G.W. Prager , E. Elez , M. Fakih , F. Ciardiello , E. Van Cutsem , L. Roby , W. Yao , E. Choucair , J. Taieb","doi":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The efficacy of trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) + bevacizumab compared with FTD/TPI for the treatment of refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) was demonstrated in the SUNLIGHT trial. However, the association between neutropenia and neutrophil count decrease (NCD) and efficacy outcomes in the SUNLIGHT population has not yet been assessed.</div></div><div><h3>Patients and methods</h3><div>Patients with mCRC enrolled in SUNLIGHT had received no more than two prior treatment regimens and were randomised to receive either FTD/TPI + bevacizumab or FTD/TPI. In this <em>post hoc</em> analysis, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analysed in patients with severe (grade ≥3) neutropenia/NCD and in patients with no, or non-severe, neutropenia/NCD.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Patients treated with FTD/TPI + bevacizumab with severe neutropenia/NCD had longer OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.37 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26-0.52] <em>P</em> < 0.0001) and PFS (HR 0.41 [95% CI 0.31-0.55] <em>P</em> < 0.0001) than patients with non-severe or no neutropenia/NCD. Patients treated with FTD/TPI + bevacizumab had improved OS compared with patients treated with FTD/TPI in the severe neutropenia/NCD (HR 0.58 [95% CI 0.40-0.85] <em>P</em> = 0.0046) and non-severe or no neutropenia/NCD (HR 0.71 [95% CI 0.54-0.94] <em>P</em> = 0.0176) subgroups. Most cases of severe neutropenia/NCD occurred during the first two cycles of treatment, did not lead to dose reduction or interruption, and were effectively managed with or without the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In SUNLIGHT, patients who developed severe neutropenia/NCD had improved OS and PFS in both treatment arms. Patients receiving FTD/TPI + bevacizumab had longer OS/PFS than patients receiving FTD/TPI, irrespective of the presence of severe neutropenia/NCD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100490,"journal":{"name":"ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100234"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}