Personalized Medicine in Gastric Adenocarcinoma: New Research Sheds Light on Effective Treatment Strategies

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the Cancer Institute in Iran have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the relationship between molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and personalized medicine in gastric adenocarcinoma. The study, which was financially supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, assessed the frequency of microsatellite stable (MSI) status and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER-2) expression in 135 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that HER-2 amplification was present in 8.1% of patients, which was lower than in North American or Western European countries.
  • Patients with HER-2 overexpression had a shorter median overall survival (OS) compared to HER-2 negative cases, with a median OS of 21 months (95% CI: 1.4-40.6) vs. 31 months (95% CI: 22.9-39) (p = 0.18).
  • Microsatellite instability (MSI)-high (MSI-H) status was highly infrequent in the study population, with only 5.9% of patients exhibiting MSI-H status.
  • Patients with MSI-H status had a significantly improved OS and disease-free survival (DFS) compared to those without MSI-H status, with a median OS of 26 months and DFS of 20 months.
  • The study suggests that immunotherapy may not be beneficial for a significant fraction of Iranian patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, but a minority may still benefit from it.

Statistics:

  • 135 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were included in the study.
  • 8.1% of patients had HER-2 amplification.
  • 5.9% of patients exhibited microsatellite instability (MSI-H) status.
  • Median overall survival (OS) for HER-2 positive patients was 21 months (95% CI: 1.4-40.6).
  • Median OS for HER-2 negative patients was 31 months (95% CI: 22.9-39).
  • Median disease-free survival (DFS) for HER-2 positive patients was 15 months.
  • Median DFS for HER-2 negative patients was 28 months.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Cancer Institute Researchers Update Current Data on Personalized Medicine (Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 [HER-2/neu] Amplification and Microsatellite Stable Status in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma: Assessing Frequency ...). Cancer Weekly. September 9, 2025; p 21.
  • Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 [HER-2/neu] Amplification and Microsatellite Stable Status in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma: Assessing Frequency and Prognostic Implications at the Cancer Institute of Iran. Cancer Reports, 2025,8(8):n/a-n/a.