[Current status and research progress of third-line treatment for patients with gastric cancer in China]

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. The prognosis of advanced GC is extremely poor, characterized by the high recurrence or disease progression rate after the first-line chemotherapy, and the extremely low long-term survival rate. Meanwhile, the options for subsequent treatment are limited. Studies have shown that the third-line therapy can provide significant survival benefits for selected patients with advanced GC. Currently, a series of randomized controlled trials and real-world studies related to chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are conducted. In addition, the explorations of combination therapy, and screening the optimal clinical features or predictive biomarkers for the suitable population who might benefit from the third-line regimens are the hot spots for researchers. This article will provide a detailed overview of the current status and progress of the third-line treatment for advanced GC, and to illustrate the characteristics of Chinese GC treatment.