Tsutomu Kumamoto1, Toshihiko Tomita2, Yudai Hojo1, Tatsuro Nakamura1, Yasunori Kurahashi1, Yoshinori Ishida1, Hiroto Miwa2, Seiichi Hirota3, Hisashi Shinohara4. 1. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan. 2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan. 3. Department of Surgical Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan. 4. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan; shinohara@hyo-med.ac.jp.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Multimodality treatment including immune check point inhibitors is required for stage IV oesophagogastric junction cancer (OGJC). CASE REPORT: A 69-year-old man, was diagnosed with advanced OGJC and para-aortic lymph node metastasis (T3N+M1, stage IV), which upon biopsy, was shown to be an adenocarcinoma. After eight courses of nivolumab as third-line chemotherapy, the primary tumour and enlarged regional and para-aortic lymph nodes shrunk markedly, while tumour markers decreased within normal ranges. We performed a minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy with completion of an abdominal D2 and transhiatal lower mediastinal lymph node dissection. Pathological findings revealed a complete response for the primary tumour and a regional lymph node metastasis. A biopsy of the previous sample revealed microsatellite instability-negativity, Epstein-Barr virus-negativity, and programmed cell death-1-ligand combined positive score of 2. He was followed up for 3 months without recurrence. CONCLUSION: Nivolumab may induce pathological complete response for stage IV OGJC even in cases negative for microsatellite instability and Epstein-Barr virus, besides the programmed cell death-1-ligand combined positive score of <5.
BACKGROUND: Multimodality treatment including immune check point inhibitors is required for stage IV oesophagogastric junction cancer (OGJC). CASE REPORT: A 69-year-old man, was diagnosed with advanced OGJC and para-aortic lymph node metastasis (T3N+M1, stage IV), which upon biopsy, was shown to be an adenocarcinoma. After eight courses of nivolumab as third-line chemotherapy, the primary tumour and enlarged regional and para-aortic lymph nodes shrunk markedly, while tumour markers decreased within normal ranges. We performed a minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy with completion of an abdominal D2 and transhiatal lower mediastinal lymph node dissection. Pathological findings revealed a complete response for the primary tumour and a regional lymph node metastasis. A biopsy of the previous sample revealed microsatellite instability-negativity, Epstein-Barr virus-negativity, and programmed cell death-1-ligand combined positive score of 2. He was followed up for 3 months without recurrence. CONCLUSION:Nivolumab may induce pathological complete response for stage IV OGJC even in cases negative for microsatellite instability and Epstein-Barr virus, besides the programmed cell death-1-ligand combined positive score of <5.