Dr. Svensson on the Impact of PD-L1 Status in Gastric and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Maria Svensson, MD, Lund University, discusses the impact of determining PD-L1 status for patients with esophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma.

In a study of patients with resectable esophageal and gastric cancer, investigators sought to examine the expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and the PD-1 receptor as it relates to mismatch repair (MMR) status.

It is important to find good biomarkers for prognosis, explains Svensson. Patients with high PD-L1 expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) had prolonged survival. In this study, the prognostic value was evident in MMR-proficient tumors. PD-L1 expression and MMR status can be useful in the clinic in the future for different settings, adds Svensson.