Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2020; 26(39): 6027-6036
Published online Oct 21, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i39.6027
Table 1 Baseline characteristics of 245 patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer who received at least one line of systemic therapy

Only one line of therapy (n = 122)
At least two lines of therapy (n = 123)
P value
Median age (IQR)68 (61.7-73.7)62 (56.1-70.6)< 0.05
Gender, n (%)0.37
Male96 (79)90 (73)
Female26 (21)33 (27)
Ethnicity, n (%)0.59
Caucasian101 (83)95 (77)
Asian15 (12)21 (17)
East Asian6 (5)6 (5)
Other01 (1)
Histology, n (%)0.92
Adenocarcinoma 96 (79)95 (77)
Squamous cell carcinoma9 (7)11 (9)
Signet ring cell17 (14)17 (14)
HER2 status, n (%)0.41
Positive27 (22)37 (30)
Negative70 (57)72 (59)
Unknown25 (20)14 (11)
MMR status by IHC, n (%)1.0
Deficient MMR 1 (1)1 (1)
Proficient MMR34 (28)55 (45)
Unknown87 (71)67 (54)
Grade, n (%)0.14
Well3 (2)5 (4)
Moderate30 (25)42 (34)
Poor58 (48)45 (37)
Unknown31 (25)31 (25)
Site of primary, n (%)0.44
Gastric44 (36)46 (37)
GEJ/esophagus78 (64)77 (63)
Location of metastases, n (%)
Lymph node64 (52)54 (44)0.20
Lung29 (24)28 (67)0.88
Liver39 (32)50 (41)0.18
Peritoneum31 (25)23 (19)0.22
Other28 (23)16 (13)0.05
Disease presentation, n (%)0.89
De novo disease87 (71)89 (72)
Recurrent disease 35 (29)34 (28)
Previous chemoradiation, n (%)32 (26)29 (24)0.66
Previous resection, n (%)27 (22)24 (20)0.64
ECOG at baseline, n (%)0.14
011 (9)20 (16)
183 (68)84 (68)
228 (23)19 (15)
Best response to first-line treatment, n (%)< 0.05
Complete response6 (5)4 (3)
Partial response33 (27)46 (37)
Stable disease20 (16)38 (31)
Progressive disease58 (48)33 (27)
Unknown5 (4)2 (2)
Median duration of first-line treatment2.7 (0.9-6.1)5.00 (3.5-9.8)< 0.05
Reason for discontinuation of first-line treatment, n (%)0.02
Progression82 (67)101 (82)
Toxicity15 (12)4 (3)
Other23 (19)17 (14)
Unknown2 (2)1 (1)
Table 2 Treatment details for patients who received at least two lines of systemic therapy
Second-line chemotherapy backbone [n = 123, n (%)]
5-FU/oxaliplatin9 (7)
5-FU/irinotecan21 (17)
5-FU/cisplatin3 (2)
Ramucirumab/paclitaxel76 (62)
Docetaxel8 (7)
Capecitabine2 (2)
Irinotecan3 (2)
Trastuzumab alone1 (1)
Best response to second-line treatment, n (%)
Complete response2 (2)
Partial response17 (14)
Stable disease27 (22)
Progressive disease73 (59)
Unknown4 (3)
Median duration of second-line treatment (mo)2.8 (1.4-5.7)
Reason for discontinuation of second-line treatment, n (%)
Progression100 (81)
Toxicity7 (6)
Other12 (10)
Unknown11 (9)
Third-line chemotherapy backbone [n = 40, n (%)]
5-FU1 (2.5)
5-FU/irinotecan14 (35)
5-FU/oxaliplatin1 (2.5)
Docetaxel2 (5)
Irinotecan8 (20)
Ramucirumab/paclitaxel11 (28)
Pembrolizumab1 (2.5)
Nivolumab1 (2.5)
Durvalumab/Tremelimumab1 (2.5)
Best response to third-line treatment, n (%)
Complete response1 (2.5)
Partial response7 (18)
Stable disease6 (15)
Progressive disease25 (63)
Unknown1 (2.5)
Median duration of third-line treatment (mo)1.9 (0.9-4.4)
Reason for discontinuation of third-line treatment, n (%)
Progression34 (85)
Toxicity0
Other3 (8)
Unknown3 (8)
Fourth-line chemotherapy backbone [n = 6, n (%)]
5-FU1 (17)
5-FU/oxaliplatin2 (33)
5-FU/irinotecan1 (17)
5-FU/cisplatin1 (17)
Nivolumab1 (17)
Best response to fourth-line treatment, n (%)
Complete response0
Partial response0
Stable disease1 (17)
Progressive disease 5 (83)
Median duration of fourth-line treatment (mo)2.57 (2.08-3.75)
Reason for discontinuation of fourth-line treatment, n (%)
Progression6 (100)
Toxicity0
Other 0
Unknown0
Table 3 Multivariable Cox regression analysis for overall survival

Hazard ratio (95%CI)
P value
Gender (male vs female)1.07 (0.77-1.48)0.69
Baseline ECOG (continuous)1.33 (1.02-1.73)0.04
Recurrent disease (vs de novo)0.86 (0.62-1.19)0.37
Duration of first-line treatment1.00 (1.00-1.002)0.09
Lines of treatment0.61 (0.50-0.74)< 0.01