Frontiers in Oncology (Dec 2019)

Lymph Node Metastasis From Gastroesophageal Cancer Successfully Treated by Nivolumab: A Case Report of a Young Patient

  • Shin Kashima,
  • Hiroki Tanabe,
  • Mishie Tanino,
  • Yu Kobayashi,
  • Yuki Murakami,
  • Takuya Iwama,
  • Takahiro Sasaki,
  • Takehito Kunogi,
  • Keitaro Takahashi,
  • Katsuyoshi Ando,
  • Nobuhiro Ueno,
  • Kentaro Moriichi,
  • Masahide Fukudo,
  • Yoshikazu Tasaki,
  • Masao Hosokawa,
  • Yusuke Mizukami,
  • Mikihiro Fujiya,
  • Toshikatsu Okumura

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2019.01375
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Background: Immuno-oncology is a novel target of cancer therapy. Nivolumab is a monoclonal anti-programed death-1 antibody recently used to treat patients with chemotherapy-resistant gastric and gastroesophageal cancer. Although the disease control rate is reported to be very high, few cases demonstrate a complete response.Case Presentation: A 25-year-old man diagnosed with gastroesophageal cancer was treated with chemotherapy followed by surgical resection. Pathological diagnosis was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with distant lymph node metastasis. Residual lymph node metastasis was treated with nivolumab monotherapy, resulting in complete disappearance. No recurrence has been observed for 2 years since discontinuation of nivolumab. This rare case was additionally subjected to pathological and genetic analysis, suggesting that a high tumor mutation burden (10.7 mutations/Mb) might be associated with sensitivity to nivolumab.Summary: We reported a case of advanced gastroesophageal junction cancer with distal lymph node metastasis that was successfully treated with chemotherapy, surgical resection, and nivolumab therapy. An aggressive search for biomarkers implying benefit effects of nivolumab should be performed.

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