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New Stomach Cancer Treatment Maintains Quality of Life

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First-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for advanced HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma Health-related quality DOI 10.1016j.ejca.2025.11580

Living longer with cancer is important, but feeling well during treatment also matters. A new study looked at whether a drug called pembrolizumab, when added to standard chemotherapy, affected how people feel while being treated for advanced stomach or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer.

This was part of the KEYNOTE-859 trial. Over 1500 people took part. Some received pembrolizumab with chemo. Others received a placebo with chemo. The goal was to see how the treatments affected quality of life, especially pain, energy, and overall well-being.

The results showed that adding pembrolizumab did not make people feel worse. In fact, it helped reduce pain more than chemo alone. People in both groups had similar changes in energy and daily functioning. Pain improved more in those getting pembrolizumab.

This matters because it shows that adding pembrolizumab can help treat cancer without making quality of life worse. Some people even felt a bit better in terms of pain control.

If you or a loved one has advanced HER2-negative stomach or GEJ cancer, this treatment may be an option. Talk to your doctor about whether pembrolizumab could be right for you.

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Dr Harsh Shah - GI & HPB Oncosurgeon in Ahmeadbad
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