Gastric Cancer

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At age 68, Dan Greene was told the intense pain in his abdomen was likely pancreatic cancer, until further testing determined he had stage IV stomach cancer. Joining a clinical trial gave him a second chance.

In April 2021, the FDA approved Opdivo (nivolumab), for use with chemotherapy, as first-line treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, including gastroesophageal junction cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

In May 2021, the FDA approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab), plus Herceptin and chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic, HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Keytruda is the second immunotherapy approved for gastric cancer.

“Because gastric cancers involve the digestive system, following a healthy diet is especially important for patients with this type of cancer,” says Martha Raymond, Founding Executive Director of the GI Cancers Alliance.

In February 2019, the FDA approved Lonsurf for the treatment of patients with metastatic gastric (stomach) cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. This drug was previously approved only for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Cathy Sherman Freeman’s father, who was Head of Publications at Walt Disney Studios, passed away of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), the same rare cancer she was diagnosed with several years ago.