Quadruple therapy with immunotherapy and chemotherapy as first-line conversion treatment for unresectable advanced gastric adenocarcinoma: A case report

Abstract

Background: The treatment of gastric cancer remains highly challenging, particularly in cases of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease. Although chemotherapy and immunotherapy have shown some efficacy in such patients, significant limitations persist in extending survival and enhancing safety. To address these challenges, we designed an innovative first-line quadruple conversion therapy regimen that integrates a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor with chemotherapy, and we successfully implemented this therapy regimen in the treatment of a patient with unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.

Case summary: We report the case of a 55-year-old male who was diagnosed with unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma and presented with intermittent epigastric pain and multiple lymph node metastases in the abdominal cavity, with the metastasis being notably large in size. The tumor tissue was negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 by immunohistochemistry. Considering the patient's status, the multidisciplinary team decided to administer sintilimab in combination with albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel), S-1, and oxaliplatin as a quadruple drug conversion therapy. After 4 cycles of conversion therapy, the patient's epigastric pain was significantly alleviated, his stool color normalized, the volume of the primary tumor and lymph node metastases was markedly reduced, and the tumor marker levels decreased to within the normal range. The patient subsequently underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy with abdominal lymph node dissection, and postoperative pathological biopsy revealed a pathological complete response and R0 resection, after which the patient recovered to an excellent physical status.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma successfully treated with quadruple therapy with a PD-1 inhibitor and chemotherapy as a first-line conversion regimen. This first-line conversion therapy with the quadruple regimen may be effective and safe for unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.

Keywords: Case report; Conversion therapy; Immunotherapy; Programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitors; Sintilimab; Unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.