David Ilson, MD of Memoral Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses data released at ASCO GI 2017. A total of 198 patients who completed chemoradiation were analyzed for the primary endpoint of pCR. Among the entire group, the pCR rate was 22.7%. The highest pCR rate of 37.5% occurred in PET responders who received both induction and concurrent FOLFOX, whereas the lowest rate of 12.5% occurred in PET responders who received both induction and concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel. Notably, the pCR rate for PET nonresponders who switched from FOLFOX to carboplatin/paclitaxel was 19.0% and for those who switched from carboplatin/paclitaxel to FOLFOX was 17.0%. http://gicasym.org/daily-news/calgb-80803-suggests-early-pet-assessment-helps-optimize-neoadjuvant-chemotherapy?qt-daily_news_latest_popular=0
Overall, switching chemotherapy in PET nonresponders led to an 18.0% pCR ratea value approaching the 26.0% pCR rate observed across all PET responders.