Browsing by Author "Fuchs, Charles S."

Now showing 1 - 10 of 11
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Age and comorbidity association with survival outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer: CALGB 80405 analysis
    (Elsevier, 2022) McCleary, Nadine J.; Zhang, Sui; Ma, Chao; Ou, Fang-Shu; Bainter, Tiffany M.; Venook, Alan P.; Niedzwiecki, Donna; Lenz, Heinz-Josef; Innocenti, Federico; O'Neil, Bert H.; Polite, Blase N.; Hochster, Howard S.; Atkins, James N.; Goldberg, Richard M.; Ng, Kimmie; Mayer, Robert J.; Blanke, Charles D.; O'Reilly, Eileen M.; Fuchs, Charles S.; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Little is known about the interaction of comorbidities and age on survival outcomes in colorectal cancer (mCRC), nor how comorbidities impact treatment tolerance. Methods: We utilized a cohort of 1345 mCRC patients enrolled in CALGB/SWOG 80405, a multicenter phase III trial of fluorouracil/leucovorin + oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) or irinotecan (FOLFIRI) plus bevacizumab, cetuximab or both. Endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and grade ≥ 3 toxicities assessed using NCI CTCAE v.3.0. Participants completed a questionnaire, including a modified Charlson Comorbidity Index. Adjusted Cox and logistic regression models tested associations of comorbidities and age on the endpoints. Results: In CALGB/SWOG 80405, 1095 (81%) subjects were < 70 years and >70 250 (19%). Presence of ≥1 comorbidity was not significantly associated with either OS (HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.96-1.25) or PFS (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.91-1.16). Compared to subjects <70 with no comorbidities, OS was non-significantly inferior for ≥70 with no comorbidities (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.98-1.49) and significantly inferior for ≥70 with at least one comorbidity (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.22-1.86). There were no significant associations or interactions between age or comorbidity with PFS. Comorbidities were not associated with treatment-related toxicities. Age ≥ 70 was associated with greater risk of grade ≥ 3 toxicities (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.50-3.09, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Among participants in a clinical trial of combination chemotherapy for mCRC, presence of older age with comorbidities was associated with worse OS but not PFS. The association of age with toxicity suggests additional factors of care should be measured in clinical trials.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Association of Coffee Intake With Survival in Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
    (American Medical Association, 2020-11-01) Mackintosh, Christopher; Yuan, Chen; Ou, Fang-Shu; Zhang, Sui; Niedzwiecki, Donna; Chang, I-Wen; O’Neil, Bert H.; Mullen, Brian C.; Lenz, Heinz-Josef; Blanke, Charles D.; Venook, Alan P.; Mayer, Robert J.; Fuchs, Charles S.; Innocenti, Federico; Nixon, Andrew B.; Goldberg, Richard M.; O’Reilly, Eileen M.; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Ng, Kimmie; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Importance: Several compounds found in coffee possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and insulin-sensitizing effects, which may contribute to anticancer activity. Epidemiological studies have identified associations between increased coffee consumption and decreased recurrence and mortality of colorectal cancer. The association between coffee consumption and survival in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the association of coffee consumption with disease progression and death in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. Design, setting, and participants: This prospective observational cohort study included 1171 patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer who were enrolled in Cancer and Leukemia Group B (Alliance)/SWOG 80405, a completed phase 3 clinical trial comparing the addition of cetuximab and/or bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy. Patients reported dietary intake using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire at the time of enrollment. Data were collected from October 27, 2005, to January 18, 2018, and analyzed from May 1 to August 31, 2018. Exposures: Consumption of total, decaffeinated, and caffeinated coffee measured in cups per day. Main outcomes and measures: Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Among the 1171 patients included in the analysis (694 men [59%]; median age, 59 [interquartile range, 51-67] years). The median follow-up time among living patients was 5.4 years (10th percentile, 1.3 years; IQR, 3.2-6.3 years). A total of 1092 patients (93%) had died or had disease progression. Increased consumption of coffee was associated with decreased risk of cancer progression (hazard ratio [HR] for 1-cup/d increment, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-1.00; P = .04 for trend) and death (HR for 1-cup/d increment, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.98; P = .004 for trend). Participants who consumed 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day had a multivariable HR for OS of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.67-1.00) and for PFS of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.68-0.99), compared with those who did not drink coffee. Participants who consumed at least 4 cups of coffee per day had a multivariable HR for OS of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.46-0.87) and for PFS of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.59-1.05). Significant associations were noted for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. Conclusions and relevance: Coffee consumption may be associated with reduced risk of disease progression and death in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. Further research is warranted to elucidate underlying biological mechanisms.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Association of Diet Quality With Survival Among People With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in the Cancer and Leukemia B and Southwest Oncology Group 80405 Trial
    (AMA, 2020-10-30) Van Blarigan, Erin L.; Zhang, Sui; Ou, Fang-Shu; Venlo, Alan; Ng, Kimmie; Atreya, Chloe; Van Loon, Katherine; Niedzwiecki, Donna; Giovannucci, Edward; Wolfe, Eric G.; Lenz, Heinz-Josef; Innocenti, Federico; O'Neil, Bert H.; Shaw, James E.; Polite, Blase N.; Hochster, Howard S.; Atkins, James N.; Goldberg, Richard M.; Mayer, Robert J.; Blanke, Charles D.; O'Reilly, Eileen M.; Fuchs, Charles S.; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Importance: Diet has been associated with survival in patients with stage I to III colorectal cancer, but data on patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are limited. Objective: To examine the association between diet quality and overall survival among individuals with metastatic colorectal cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a prospective cohort study of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were enrolled in the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (Alliance) and Southwest Oncology Group 80405 trial between October 27, 2005, and February 29, 2012, and followed up through January 2018. Exposures: Participants completed a validated food frequency questionnaire within 4 weeks after initiation of first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. Diets were categorized according to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score, and Western and prudent dietary patterns derived using principal component analysis. Participants were categorized into sex-specific quintiles. Main Outcomes and Measures: Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for overall survival. Results: In this cohort study of 1284 individuals with metastatic colorectal cancer, the median age was 59 (interquartile range [IQR]: 51-68) years, median body mass index was 27.2 (IQR, 24.1-31.4), 521 (41%) were female, and 1102 (86%) were White. There were 1100 deaths during a median follow-up of 73 months (IQR, 64-87 months). We observed an inverse association between the AMED score and risk of death (HR quintile 5 vs quintile 1, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67-1.04; P = .04 for trend), but the point estimates were not statistically significant. None of the other diet scores or patterns were associated with overall survival. Conclusions and Relevance: In this prospective analysis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, diet quality assessed at initiation of first-line treatment for metastatic disease was not associated with overall survival.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Body Mass Index and Weight Loss in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in CALGB (Alliance)/SWOG 80405
    (Oxford University Press, 2020-03-31) Guercio, Brendan J.; Zhang, Sui; Venook, Alan P.; Ou, Fang-Shu; Niedzwiecki, Donna; Lenz, Heinz-Josef; Innocenti, Federico; Mullen, Brian C.; O’Neil, Bert H.; Shaw, James E.; Polite, Blase N.; Hochster, Howard S.; Atkins, James N.; Goldberg, Richard M.; Brown, Justin C.; O’Reilly, Eileen M.; Mayer, Robert J.; Blanke, Charles D.; Fuchs, Charles S.; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: In nonmetastatic colorectal cancer, overweight and mild-to-moderately obese patients experience improved outcomes compared with other patients. Obesity's influence on advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is relatively unexplored. Methods: We conducted a prospective body mass index (BMI) companion study in Cancer and Leukemia Group B (now Alliance)/SWOG 80405, a phase III metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment trial. BMI was measured at trial registration. Primary and secondary endpoints were overall and progression-free survival, respectively. To minimize confounding by poor and rapidly declining health, we used Cox proportional hazards regression to adjust for known prognostic factors, comorbidities, physical activity, and weight loss during the 6 months prior to study entry. We also examined weight loss prior to enrollment as an independent predictor of patient outcome. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: Among 2323 patients with mCRC, there were no statistically significant associations between BMI and overall or progression-free survival (adjusted P trend = .12 and .40, respectively). Weight loss during the 6 months prior to study entry was associated with shorter overall and progression-free survival; compared with individuals with stable weight ±4.9%, individuals with weight loss greater than 15% experienced an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.52 for all-cause mortality (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26 to 1.84; P trend < .001) and of 1.23 for disease progression or death (95% CI = 1.02 to 1.47; P trend = .006). Conclusions: In this prospective study of patients with mCRC, BMI at time of first-line chemotherapy initiation was not associated with patient outcome. Weight loss prior to study entry was associated with increased risk of patient mortality and disease progression.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Calcium Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer According to Tumor-infiltrating T Cells
    (AACR, 2019-05) Yang, Wanshui; Liu, Li; Keum, NaNa; Qian, Zhi Rong; Nowak, Jonathan A.; Hamada, Tsuyoshi; Song, Mingyang; Cao, Yin; Nosho, Katsuhiko; Smith-Warner, Stephanie A.; Zhang, Sui; Masugi, Yohei; Ng, Kimmie; Kosumi, Keisuke; Ma, Yanan; Garrett, Wendy S.; Wang, Molin; Nan, Hongmei; Giannakis, Marios; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Chan, Andrew T.; Fuchs, Charles S.; Nishihara, Reiko; Wu, Kana; Giovannucci, Edward L.; Ogino, Shuji; Zhang, Xuehong; Epidemiology, School of Public Health
    Calcium intake has been associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Calcium signaling may enhance T-cell proliferation and differentiation, and contribute to T-cell–mediated antitumor immunity. In this prospective cohort study, we investigated the association between calcium intake and colorectal cancer risk according to tumor immunity status to provide additional insights into the role of calcium in colorectal carcinogenesis. The densities of tumor-infiltrating T-cell subsets [CD3+, CD8+, CD45RO (PTPRC)+, or FOXP3+ cell] were assessed using IHC and computer-assisted image analysis in 736 cancer cases that developed among 136,249 individuals in two cohorts. HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Total calcium intake was associated with a multivariable HR of 0.55 (comparing ≥1,200 vs. <600 mg/day; 95% CI, 0.36–0.84; Ptrend = 0.002) for CD8+ T-cell–low but not for CD8+ T-cell–high tumors (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.67–1.55; Ptrend = 0.47). Similarly, the corresponding HRs (95% CIs) for calcium for low versus high T-cell–infiltrated tumors were 0.63 (0.42–0.94; Ptrend = 0.01) and 0.89 (0.58–1.35; Ptrend = 0.20) for CD3+; 0.58 (0.39–0.87; Ptrend = 0.006) and 1.04 (0.69–1.58; Ptrend = 0.54) for CD45RO+; and 0.56 (0.36–0.85; Ptrend = 0.006) and 1.10 (0.72–1.67; Ptrend = 0.47) for FOXP3+, although the differences by subtypes defined by T-cell density were not statistically significant. These potential differential associations generally appeared consistent regardless of sex, source of calcium intake, tumor location, and tumor microsatellite instability status. Our findings suggest a possible role of calcium in cancer immunoprevention via modulation of T-cell function.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Coffee Intake of Colorectal Cancer Patients and Prognosis According to Histopathologic Lymphocytic Reaction and T-Cell Infiltrates
    (Elsevier, 2022) Ugai, Tomotaka; Haruki, Koichiro; Väyrynen, Juha P.; Borowsky, Jennifer; Fujiyoshi, Kenji; Lau, Mai Chan; Akimoto, Naohiko; Zhong, Rong; Kishikawa, Junko; Arima, Kota; Shi, Shan-shan; Zhao, Melissa; Fuchs, Charles S.; Zhang, Xuehong; Giannakis, Marios; Song, Mingyang; Nan, Hongmei; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Wang, Molin; Nowak, Jonathan A.; Ogino, Shuji; Community and Global Health, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
    Given previous biological evidence of immunomodulatory effects of coffee, we hypothesized that the association between coffee intake of colorectal cancer patients and survival differs by immune responses. Using a molecular pathological epidemiology database of 4,465 incident colorectal cancer cases, including 1,262 cases with molecular data, in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we examined the association between coffee intake of colorectal cancer patients and survival in strata of levels of histopathologic lymphocytic reaction and T-cell infiltrates in tumor tissue. We did not observe a significant association of coffee intake with colorectal cancer-specific mortality [multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for one cup increase of coffee intake per day, 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84-1.03]. Although statistical significance was not reached at the stringent level (α=0.005), the association of coffee intake with colorectal cancer-specific mortality differed by Crohn's-like lymphoid reaction (Pinteraction=.007). Coffee intake was associated with lower colorectal cancer-specific mortality in patients with high Crohn's-like reaction (multivariable HR for one cup increase of coffee intake per day, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37–0.81; Ptrend=.002), but not in patients with intermediate Crohn's-like reaction (the corresponding HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.72–1.44) or negative/low Crohn's-like reaction (the corresponding HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.83–1.07). The associations of coffee intake with colorectal cancer-specific mortality did not significantly differ by levels of other lymphocytic reaction or any T-cell subset (Pinteraction>.18). There is suggestive evidence for differential prognostic effects of coffee intake by Crohn’s-like lymphoid reaction in colorectal cancer.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Diabetes and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: CALGB 80405 (Alliance)
    (Oxford University Press, 2020-02) Brown, Justin C.; Zhang, Sui; Ou, Fang-Shu; Venook, Alan P.; Niedzwiecki, Donna; Heinz-Josef Lenz, Heinz-Josef; Innocenti, Federico; O’Neil, Bert H.; Shaw, James E.; Polite, Blase N.; Denlinger, Crystal S.; Atkins, James N.; Goldberg, Richard M.; Ng, Kimmie; Mayer, Robert J.; Blanke, Charles D.; O’Reilly, Eileen M.; Fuchs, Charles S.; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background Diabetes is a prognostic factor for some malignancies, but its association with outcome in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is less clear. Methods This cohort study was nested within a randomized trial of first-line chemotherapy and bevacizumab and/or cetuximab for advanced or metastatic CRC. Patients were enrolled at 508 community and academic centers throughout the National Clinical Trials Network. The primary exposure was physician-documented diabetes at the time of enrollment. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events. Tests of statistical significance were two-sided. Results Among 2326 patients, 378 (16.3%) had diabetes. The median follow-up time was 6.0 years. We observed 1973 OS events and 2173 PFS events. The median time to an OS event was 22.7 months among those with diabetes and 27.1 months among those without diabetes (HR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.13 to 1.44; P < .001). The median time to a PFS event was 9.7 months among those with diabetes and 10.8 months among those without diabetes (HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.30; P = .02). Patients with diabetes were more likely to experience no less than grade 3 hypertension (8.1% vs 4.4%; P = .054) but were not more likely to experience other adverse events, including neuropathy. Conclusions Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of mortality and tumor progression in patients with advanced or metastatic CRC. Patients with diabetes tolerate first-line treatment with chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies similarly to patients without diabetes.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    IGF-Binding Proteins, Adiponectin, and Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Results From CALGB (Alliance)/SWOG 80405
    (Oxford University Press, 2020-08-27) Guercio, Brendan J.; Zhang, Sui; Ou, Fang-Shu; Venook, Alan P.; Niedzwiecki, Donna; Lenz, Heinz-Josef; Innocenti, Federico; Pollak, Michael N.; Nixon, Andrew B.; Mullen, Brian C.; O'Neil, Bert H.; Shaw, James E.; Polite, Blase N.; Benson, Al Bowen, III.; Atkins, James N.; Goldberg, Richard M.; Brown, Justin C.; O'Reilly, Eileen M.; Mayer, Robert J.; Blanke, Charles D.; Fuchs, Charles S.; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Energy balance-related biomarkers are associated with risk and prognosis of various malignancies. Their relationship to survival in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) requires further study. Methods: Baseline plasma insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3, IGFBP-7, C-peptide, and adiponectin were measured at time of trial registration in a prospective cohort of patients with mCRC participating in a National Cancer Institute-sponsored trial of first-line systemic therapy. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to adjust for confounders and examine associations of each biomarker with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). P values are 2-sided. Results: Median follow-up for 1086 patients was 6.2 years. Compared with patients in the lowest IGFBP-3 quintile, patients in the highest IGFBP-3 quintile experienced an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for OS of 0.57 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42 to 0.78; P nonlinearity < .001) and for PFS of 0.61 (95% CI = 0.45 to 0.82; P trend = .003). Compared with patients in the lowest IGFBP-7 quintile, patients in the highest IGFBP-7 quintile experienced an adjusted hazard ratio for OS of 1.60 (95% CI = 1.30 to 1.97; P trend < .001) and for PFS of 1.38 (95% CI = 1.13 to 1.69; P trend < .001). Plasma C-peptide and IGF-1 were not associated with patient outcomes. Adiponectin was not associated with OS; there was a nonlinear U-shaped association between adiponectin and PFS (P nonlinearity = .03). Conclusions: Among patients with mCRC, high plasma IGFBP-3 and low IGFBP-7 were associated with longer OS and PFS. Extreme levels of adiponectin were associated with shorter PFS. These findings suggest potential avenues for prognostic and therapeutic innovation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Inherited DNA-Repair Defects in Colorectal Cancer
    (Elsevier, 2018-03-01) AlDubayan, Saud H.; Giannakis, Marios; Moore, Nathanael D.; Han, G. Celine; Reardon, Brendan; Hamada, Tsuyoshi; Mu, Xingmeng Jasmine; Nishihara, Reiko; Qian, Zhirong; Liu, Li; Yurgelun, Matthew B.; Syngal, Sapna; Garraway, Levi A.; Ogino, Shuji; Fuchs, Charles S.; Van Allen, Eliezer M.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) heritability has been estimated to be around 30%. However, mutations in the known CRC-susceptibility genes explain CRC risk in fewer than 10% of affected individuals. Germline mutations in DNA-repair genes (DRGs) have recently been reported in CRC, but their contribution to CRC risk is largely unknown. We evaluated the gene-level germline mutation enrichment of 40 DRGs in 680 unselected CRC individuals and 27,728 ancestry-matched cancer-free adults. Significant findings were then examined in independent cohorts of 1,661 unselected CRC individuals and 1,456 individuals with early-onset CRC. Of the 680 individuals in the discovery set, 31 (4.56%) individuals harbored germline pathogenic mutations in known CRC-susceptibility genes, and another 33 (4.85%) individuals had DRG mutations that have not been previously associated with CRC risk. Germline pathogenic mutations in ATM and PALB2 were enriched in both the discovery (OR = 2.81 and p = 0.035 for ATM and OR = 4.91 and p = 0.024 for PALB2) and validation (OR = 2.97 and adjusted p = 0.0013 for ATM and OR = 3.42 and adjusted p = 0.034 for PALB2) sets. Biallelic loss of ATM was evident in all individuals with matched tumor profiling. CRC individuals also had higher rates of actionable mutations in the HR pathway, which can substantially increase the risk of developing cancers other than CRC. Our analysis provides evidence for ATM and PALB2 as CRC-risk genes, underscoring the importance of the homologous recombination pathway in CRC. In addition, we identified frequent complete homologous recombination deficiency in CRC tumors, representing a unique opportunity to explore targeted therapeutic interventions such as poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi).
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Pembrolizumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy as first-line therapy for patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: results from the phase II nonrandomized KEYNOTE-059 study
    (Springer Nature, 2019-07) Bang, Yung-Jue; Kang, Yoon-Koo; Catenacci, Daniel V.; Muro, Kei; Fuchs, Charles S.; Geva, Ravit; Hara, Hiroki; Golan, Talia; Garrido, Marcelo; Jalal, Shadia I.; Borg, Christophe; Doi, Toshihiko; Yoon, Harry H.; Savage, Mary J.; Wang, Jiangdian; Dalal, Rita P.; Shah, Sukrut; Wainberg, Zev A.; Chung, Hyun Cheol; Medicine, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: The multicohort, phase II, nonrandomized KEYNOTE-059 study evaluated pembrolizumab ± chemotherapy in advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer. Results from cohorts 2 and 3, evaluating first-line therapy, are presented. METHODS: Patients ≥ 18 years old had previously untreated recurrent or metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Cohort 3 (monotherapy) had programmed death receptor 1 combined positive score ≥ 1. Cohort 2 (combination therapy) received pembrolizumab 200 mg on day 1, cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1 (up to 6 cycles), and 5-fluorouracil 800 mg/m2 on days 1-5 of each 3-week cycle (or capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily in Japan). Primary end points were safety (combination therapy) and objective response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 by central review, and safety (monotherapy). RESULTS: In the combination therapy and monotherapy cohorts, 25 and 31 patients were enrolled; median follow-up was 13.8 months (range 1.8-24.1) and 17.5 months (range 1.7-20.7), respectively. In the combination therapy cohort, grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 19 patients (76.0%); none were fatal. In the monotherapy cohort, grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in seven patients (22.6%); one death was attributed to a treatment-related adverse event (pneumonitis). The objective response rate was 60.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 38.7-78.9] (combination therapy) and 25.8% (95% CI 11.9-44.6) (monotherapy). CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab demonstrated antitumor activity and was well tolerated as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.