Identification of biomarkers for assessing treatment efficacy of chemotherapy plus nivolumab as the first line in patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer: a multicenter study

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to identify biomarkers for predicting treatment outcomes and efficacy of chemotherapy plus nivolumab, as well as predict immune-related adverse events (irAEs) characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Methods: This multicenter study included 104 patients who received chemotherapy plus nivolumab as the primary treatment for unresectable advanced recurrent gastric cancer. Blood test results were collected before the start and after two courses of treatment. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and lactate dehydrogenase/albumin ratio (LAR) were examined after treatment in each case to determine changes compared to values before the start of treatment. Results: A total of 57 (54.8%) patients experienced a complete or partial response. The LAR of the stable disease (SD)/progressive disease (PD) group significantly increased (p=0.018). An examination of the presence of grade ≥3 irAEs and changes in related factors showed that the LAR of all patients increased. Conclusion: The LAR was correlated with the best therapeutic response; therefore, it may be a potential biomarker of treatment outcomes and efficacy.