Multimodality Treatment in Metastatic Gastric Cancer: From Past to Next Future

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Gastric cancer (GC) remains largely incurable, posing a significant global health challenge.
• Recent advances in understanding GC biology have identified potential therapeutic targets.
• Progress in supportive care and sequential chemotherapy has led to incremental survival gains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state-of-the-art in metastatic gastric cancer treatment.
• To summarize ongoing clinical trials investigating multimodal therapeutic strategies for GC.
• To highlight the evolving role of targeted therapies and immunotherapy in GC management.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent advancements in gastric cancer research.
• Analysis of ongoing clinical trials focusing on metastatic and oligometastatic GC.
• Synthesis of current data on targeted agents, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and multimodal treatments.

Main Results:

• Targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors are showing promise, particularly in specific GC subgroups.
• Multimodal treatment approaches combining systemic, surgical, and locoregional therapies are under investigation for selected patients.
• Incremental survival benefits have been observed with improved supportive care and strategic use of cytotoxic drugs.

Conclusions:

• The therapeutic landscape for metastatic gastric cancer is evolving with novel agents and treatment strategies.
• Integrated treatment approaches hold potential for carefully selected patients with oligometastatic disease.
• Ongoing research and clinical trials are crucial for further improving outcomes in gastric cancer.