Immunotherapeutic advances in gastric cancer

Advanced gastric cancers are responsible for overwhelming human suffering and death. Despite the development of combination chemotherapies, the survival rates of patients with gastric cancer remain unsatisfactory. Given the growing evidence of the benefits of immunotherapy as an alternative treatment for other cancers such as advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma, researchers have begun to explore its application in the treatment of gastric cancer. Three types of immunotherapy have shown promising effects against gastric cancer: immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen rector (CAR)-T cells, and tumor vaccines. Clinical trials have used either immuno-oncology monotherapies or combination immuno-chemotherapies to improve the overall survival times and objective response rates of patients with gastric cancer. We review the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy including checkpoint inhibitors, CAR‑T, and tumor vaccines, in the treatment of gastric cancer. Based on initial evidence, we believe that immunotherapy could positively impact the natural history and improve the outcomes of a subgroup of patients with gastric cancer.