OPPOSITE: Outcome Prediction of Systemic Treatment in Esophagogastric Carcinoma

Molecular Outcome Prediction of Neoadjuvant Systemic Treatment in Esophagogastric Carcinoma

Patients with locally advanced, resectable gastric or esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma will receive a biopsy of the primary tumor, followed by standard-of care neoadjuvant systemic treatment; after neoadjuvant therapy tumor biopsies will be taken from different sites of the resection specimen.

• Aim 1: Organoid cultures of pre-treatment tumor biopsies will be established and exposed to the same chemotherapy as the corresponding patient; in vitro response to treatment will be correlated with the in vivo response of patients.
• Aim 2: Whole genome, methylome and RNA sequencing of tumors biopsies and organoids will be performed prior to as well as after systemic treatment. Histological and clinical outcome will be correlated with molecular subtypes.

Inclusion Criteria:

Histologically confirmed, resectable adenocarcinoma of the GEJ (type I-III) or the stomach (cT2, cT3,cT4, any cN category, M0), or any cT cN+ M0 with the following specifications:

• ECOG-Score ≤ 2
• Patient is fit to undergo surgery (either subtotal or total gastrectomy, transhiatal or abdominothoracic esophagectomy)
• No preceding cytotoxic or targeted therapy
• No prior partial or complete tumor resection
• Exclusion of distant metastasis by CT or MRI of thorax and abdomen, and optionally bone scan (if osseous lesions are suspected due to clinical signs)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with distant metastasis
• Known hypersensitivity against components of the neoadjuvant systemic treatment
• Documented history of congestive heart failure NYHA ≥III, myocardial infarction within the past 3 months before the start of neoadjuvant treatment
• Uncontrollable high-risk cardiac arrhythmia, e.g. significant ventricular arrhythmia
• Past or current history of other malignancies not curatively treated and without evidence of disease for more than 5 years, except for curatively treated early stage cancers such as basal cell carcinoma of the skin and in situ carcinoma of the cervix or the bladder.