Novel 'spray' gives hope to patients with advanced gastric cancer

Correspondent Using a novel "spray" to administer chemotherapy drugs beyond the protective membrane surrounding the abdomen cavity, combined with immunotherapy through the bloodstream, could stop gastric cancer cells from spreading, a new study has shown.

- Judith Tan

With this ground-breaking treatment, gastric cancer may no longer be a death sentence, with the therapy offering hope of a better chance of survival for patients, especially those whose cancer has spread to the protective membrane or peritoneum.

The trial involving 18 patients took place in Singapore and Belgium from June 2020 to November 2022.

It was carried out concurrently with separate new research that used the latest in genomics to discover how the environment around the primary cancer plays an important part in its spread to the membrane.

The two studies, when taken together, mark a significant leap forward in the fight against gastric cancer peritoneal metastases in terms of tailoring personalised treatments for each patient's tumour. Metastasis refers to the spread of the cancer to other parts of the body from the primary tumour.

Gastric cancer remains formidable, ranking fifth among the most common cancers and the thirdleading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with over a million new cases and close to 770,000 deaths a year.

In Singapore, gastric cancer is among the top 10 causes of cancerrelated deaths and claims about 300 lives every year.

Patients whose gastric cancer has spread to the peritoneum often face a grim prognosis and rapid disease progression.

The median survival rates range from just three to six months, and five-year survival rates are usually below 5 per cent.

Therapeutic options for them are currently limited. The new research could help such patients whose cancer has reached an advanced stage.