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Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology

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01-08-2016 | Original Article – Cancer Research

Serum levels of soluble programmed cell death ligand 1 as a prognostic factor on the first-line treatment of metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer

Authors: Naoki Takahashi, Satoru Iwasa, Yusuke Sasaki, Hirokazu Shoji, Yoshitaka Honma, Atsuo Takashima, Natsuko Tsuda Okita, Ken Kato, Tetsuya Hamaguchi, Yasuhide Yamada

Published in: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology | Issue 8/2016

Abstract

Purpose

Immune checkpoint molecules are key targets for the treatment of various malignancies. Due to the heterogeneity of advanced gastric cancer (GC), the role of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression as a tumor biomarker remains controversial. In this study, the prognostic value of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) levels in serum samples was assessed in patients with metastatic GC.

Methods

All patients received first-line treatment with fluoropyrimidine and platinum chemotherapy, and trastuzumab was added for HER2-positive patients. Serum levels of sPD-L1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Among 75 metastatic GC patients, the median serum sPD-L1 level was 0.704 ng/ml (range <0.156–3.214). Serum sPD-L1 was significantly higher in patients with a high versus a low white blood cell count at baseline. When the cutoff value was set as the median, multivariate analyses showed that high sPD-L1 levels were associated with worse overall survival compared with low sPD-L1 levels (HR 2.218, 95 % CI 1.139–4.320, P = 0.019). Regardless of HER2 status, overall survival tended to be shorter in patients with high sPD-L1 compared with low sPD-L1. There was no significant association between sPD-L1 level and progression-free survival on the first-line treatment of metastatic GC.

Conclusions

High serum levels of sPD-L1 correlated with worse overall survival on the first-line chemotherapy in metastatic GC patients.

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Title: Serum levels of soluble programmed cell death ligand 1 as a prognostic factor on the first-line treatment of metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer
Authors: Naoki Takahashi
Satoru Iwasa
Yusuke Sasaki
Hirokazu Shoji
Yoshitaka Honma
Atsuo Takashima
Natsuko Tsuda Okita
Ken Kato
Tetsuya Hamaguchi
Yasuhide Yamada
Publication date: 01-08-2016
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology / Issue 8/2016
Print ISSN: 0171-5216
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1335
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-016-2184-6

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Serum levels of soluble programmed cell death ligand 1 as a prognostic factor on the first-line treatment of metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer

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Methods

Results

Conclusions

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Abstract

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