Durvalumab & Chemo: New Gastric Cancer Standard?
Durvalumab is changing the game in gastric cancer treatment. the MATTERHORN study reveals that adding durvalumab to chemotherapy dramatically improves event-free survival for those with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers, potentially setting a new standard of care. This treatment combination showed a notable 29% advancement in event-free survival compared to chemotherapy alone. News Directory 3 is following this research closely, as experts are optimistic about these findings and their implications for patients. the study also included 948 adults,furthering the possibilities around this treatment’s effectiveness.Discover how this could transform the future of gastric cancer care.
Durvalumab Plus Chemotherapy Boosts Survival in gastric Cancer Treatment
Updated June 01, 2025
Chicago—The addition of durvalumab (Imfinzi) to standard chemotherapy significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) for adults with locally advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers, according to the MATTERHORN study presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting.
The study, also published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that durvalumab, combined with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT), improved EFS by 29% compared to FLOT alone in this gastric cancer treatment.
Dr. Yeena Y. Janjigian, chief of gastrointestinal oncology service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, expressed enthusiasm about the results, stating it could become the new standard of care for gastric cancer.
Gastric and esophageal cancers are projected to cause approximately 1.2 million deaths in 2025. While surgery plus FLOT is the current standard for locally advanced, resectable cancers, recurrence rates remain high.Researchers are now exploring immunotherapy,already approved for metastatic disease,in earlier stages.
the MATTERHORN study involved 948 adults who were randomly assigned to receive either durvalumab (1,500 mg) or a placebo every four weeks, along with FLOT. The primary endpoint was EFS, with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and pathologic complete response as secondary endpoints.
After a median follow-up of 31.5 months, patients receiving durvalumab showed significantly improved EFS compared to the placebo group (HR = 0.71; 95% CI,