Addition of Imfinzi Immunotherapy to Standard Chemotherapy Delays Progression of Gastric and GEJ Cancers

After about 2.5 years of follow-up, 67% of patients in the Imfinzi (durvalumab) group were still cancer-free at two years, compared to 59% in the standard treatment group.

Charles H. Weaver, MD
1–2 minutes
Home » Gastric Cancer » Addition of Imfinzi Immunotherapy to Standard Chemotherapy Delays Progression of Gastric and GEJ Cancers

A new treatment approach using the immunotherapy drug durvalumab (Imfinzi) combined with standard chemotherapy (FLOT) before and after surgery has shown promising results for patients with resectable gastric (stomach) or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma, according to a large international study presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.

What Was Studied?

Researchers evaluated wheter adding durvalumab to the usual chemotherapy (FLOT: fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) could help patients with early-stage (stage II to IVa) stomach or GEJ cancer who were able to have surgery. The study included nearly 950 patients from around the world.

Key Results

  • Longer Time Without Cancer Returning: Patients who received durvalumab plus FLOT had a longer time before their cancer returned or progressed (event-free survival). After about 2.5 years of follow-up, 67% of patients in the durvalumab group were still cancer-free at two years, compared to 59% in the standard treatment group.
  • Improved Complete Response Rate: Nearly 1 in 5 patients (19%) in the durvalumab group had no signs of cancer left in their surgical tissue, compared to just 7% in the standard group.
  • Similar Overall Survival: Early results suggest a trend toward improved overall survival, but more follow-up is needed.
  • No New Safety Concerns: The rates of side effects were similar between the two groups, and there were no unexpected safety issues.

What Does This Mean for Patients?

The results suggest that adding durvalumab to standard chemotherapy before and after surgery could become a new standard of care for patients with resectable gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma.

What Should Patients Know?

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with resectable gastric or GEJ cancer, ask your oncologist about new treatment options, including immunotherapy.

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Reference:

Janjigian Y, Al-Batran S-E, Wainberg Z, et al. Event-free survival (EFS) in MATTERHORN: a randomized, phase 3 study of durvalumab plus 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel chemotherapy (FLOT) in resectable gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC). J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(suppl 17):LBA5.

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