N Engl J Med

ASCO 2025: Can durvalumab shift the curve in gastric and GEJ cancer?

June 10, 2025

Perioperative treatment with durvalumab (Imfinzi) and chemotherapy led to longer survival without cancer recurrence, progression, or treatment-related complications for patients with previously untreated, resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers (GE/GEJC) compared with perioperative placebo and chemotherapy. These results were shared at the annual ASCO meeting in Chicago, IL.

Study details: The phase 3 MATTERHORN trial (NCT04592913) enrolled 948 patients with stage II–IVA resectable GC/GEJC. Patients were randomized to receive perioperative FLOT (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) with either durvalumab or placebo, followed by maintenance with the same agent post-surgery. Participants were globally diverse, with a median age of 62 years.

Results: Durvalumab plus FLOT significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) compared with placebo plus FLOT (29% relative improvement). At two years, EFS was 67.4% in the durvalumab group vs. 58.5% in the placebo group (hazard ratio for event or death, 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58 - 0.86; P<0.001). Adding durvalumab to chemo didn’t delay either surgery or recovery, and the rate of serious side effects was about the same between the two groups.

Source:

Janjigian YY, et al; MATTERHORN Investigators. (2025, June 1). N Engl J Med. Perioperative Durvalumab in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40454643/