Association between neutropenia and response to ramucirumab and paclitaxel in patients with metastatic gastric cancer

Anticancer Drugs. 2020 Jul;31(6):632-636. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0000000000000905.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate if the occurrence of neutropenia is correlated with response to ramucirumab plus paclitaxel for metastatic gastric cancer. This is a retrospective study of patients treated with ramucirumab plus paclitaxel. Fifty-three patients were evaluated. Among these, 10 patients (26.5%) developed grade ≥3 neutropenia. Patients with grade ≥3 neutropenia reported a progression-free survival of 6.6 months (95% confidence interval 3.3-8.4) and overall survival of 11 months (95% confidence interval 5.9-13.1) vs. 4.4 months (95% confidence interval 3.9-5.2) and 8.7 months (95% confidence interval 7.8-10.1) respectively in patients' group with lower grade events. Our analysis seems to suggest that the occurrence of neutropenia predicts response to treatment with ramucirumab and paclitaxel.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neutropenia / chemically induced
  • Neutropenia / epidemiology*
  • Neutropenia / pathology
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage
  • Peritoneal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Peritoneal Neoplasms / secondary
  • Prognosis
  • Ramucirumab
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Stomach Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Paclitaxel