Published online Mar 27, 2024. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i3.700
Peer-review started: January 2, 2024
First decision: January 16, 2024
Revised: January 17, 2024
Accepted: February 20, 2024
Article in press: February 20, 2024
Published online: March 27, 2024
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common type of cancer and has the fourth highest death rate among all cancers. There is a lack of studies examining the impact of liver metastases on the effectiveness of immunotherapy in individuals diagnosed with GC.
This study retrospectively examined patients with advanced GC who received immunotherapy in the undergraduate department to investigate the influence of liver metastases.
To investigate the influence of liver metastases on the effectiveness and safety of immunotherapy in patients with advanced GC.
This retrospective investigation collected clinical data of patients with advanced stomach cancer who had immunotherapy at our hospital from February 2021 to January 2023. The baseline attributes were compared using either the Chi-square test or the Fisher exact probability method. The chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were employed to assess the therapeutic efficacy and survival duration in GC patients with and without liver metastases.
The analysis comprised 48 patients diagnosed with advanced GC, who were categorized into two groups: A liver metastasis cohort (n = 20) and a non-liver metastatic cohort (n = 28). Patients with liver metastasis exhibited a more deteriorated physical condition compared to those without liver metastasis. The objective response rates in the cohort with metastasis and the cohort without metastasis were 15.0% and 35.7% (P > 0.05), respectively. Similarly, the disease control rates (DCR) in these two cohorts were 65.0% and 82.1% (P > 0.05), respectively. The median progression-free survival was 5.0 months in one group and 11.2 months in the other group, with a hazard ratio of 0.40 and a significance level (P) less than 0.05. The median overall survival was 12.0 months in one group and 19.0 months in the other group, with a significance level (P) greater than 0.05.
Immunotherapy is less effective in GC patients with liver metastases compared to those without liver metastasis.
This study provides valuable insights into the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in patients with GC and liver metastases. In the future, we will look at more detailed molecular level studies to explore the possibility of personalized therapy. In addition, we plan to strengthen the analysis of the mechanisms of immune response after treatment to reveal potential molecular markers of treatment success or failure. In clinical practice, we will strive to promote the translation of research results to provide patients with more personalized and precise treatment options. This series of future work will further promote the application of immunotherapy in GC and liver metastases, and bring more effective and safe treatment options to patients.