Enhancing T-cell response with monoclonal antibodies and chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer

This article provides a critical analysis of a prospective single arm study by Zheng et al, which assessed the impact of oxaliplatin and trastuzumab, administered every 3 weeks, for a total of six cycles in 60 patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced gastric cancer. The study specifically explored how this treatment regimen influenced serum tumor markers and T lymphocyte subsets. After six cycles of treatment, the levels of the tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 72-4 in the blood significantly dropped compared to their initial values (P < 0.001). There was a notable increase in the percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells (P < 0.05), while the percentage of CD8+ T cells decreased (P < 0.05). As a result, the CD4+/CD8+ ratio also rose significantly after treatment (P < 0.05). Patients who had a reduction of 50% or more in their tumor markers and an increase of 1.5 times or more in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio showed better clinical improvements (P < 0.05). In this editorial, we will discuss these findings and how they apply to the current treatment field for advanced HER2 positive gastric cancer.