Understanding stomach
(gastric) cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer

Cancer can develop in different parts of your digestive system. Gastric refers to the stomach and the gastroesophageal junction is the area where your esophagus meets your stomach. Because doctors have different opinions about exactly where these parts begin and end, you may also hear them both referred to as “stomach cancer.”

Stomach (gastric) cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer are mainly adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas are cancers that develop in glands found inside of tissues. For these types of cancer, that means they form in the inner layer of the stomach and where your esophagus meets your stomach.

The stomach and esophagus are two important parts of your digestive system.

Esophagus and Stomach Image

Risk factors for stomach (gastric) and gastroesophageal junction cancer include:

  • Diet, such as eating a lot of meat or salty/smoked foods and drinking very hot liquids
  • Use of alcohol or tobacco products
  • Low physical activity
  • Other conditions, such as history with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or Barrett’s esophagus in gastroesophageal junction cancer
  • Infections that cause stomach ulcers, such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in gastric cancer
Treating Stomach (Gastric) Cancer and Gastroesophageal Cancer

Treating stomach (gastric) cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer

Treatment for stomach (gastric) cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer depends on where the cancer is and how much it has spread. If the cancer has not spread far it may be resectable. That means your cancer may be removed with surgery. When this is the case, doctors may typically recommend removing the cancer with surgery as part of the treatment plan.

In addition to surgery, doctors may also recommend treating your cancer with IMFINZI and chemotherapy* before and after surgery, followed by IMFINZI alone, to help target hard-to-reach cancer cells. IMFINZI and chemotherapy* may affect healthy cells.

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*Fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT).

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about IMFINZI® (durvalumab)?

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. IMFINZI can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

What is IMFINZI?

IMFINZI is used in combination with FLOT prior to and after surgery followed by IMFINZI alone to treat adults with a type of stomach cancer called GC or GEJC that can be removed by surgery.

It is not known if IMFINZI is safe and effective in children.

Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worsening signs or symptoms, including:

  • Lungs Problem Symptoms

    Lung problems: cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain

  • Intestinal Problem Symptoms

    Intestinal problems: diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual; stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus; and severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness

  • Liver Problem Symptoms

    Liver problems: yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, severe nausea or vomiting, pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen), dark urine (tea colored), and bleeding or bruising more easily than normal

  • Hormonal Gland Symptoms

    Hormone gland problems: headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches; eye sensitivity to light; eye problems; rapid heartbeat; increased sweating; extreme tiredness; weight gain or weight loss; feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual; urinating more often than usual; hair loss; feeling cold; constipation; your voice gets deeper; dizziness or fainting; and changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness

  • Kidney Problem Symptoms

    Kidney problems: decrease in your amount of urine, blood in your urine, swelling of your ankles, and loss of appetite

  • Skin Problem Symptoms

    Skin problems: rash; itching; skin blistering or peeling; painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area; fever or flu-like symptoms; and swollen lymph nodes

  • Pancreas Problem Symptoms

    Pancreas problems: pain in your upper stomach area (abdomen), severe nausea or vomiting, and loss of appetite

  • Other Organ Problem Symptoms

    Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with IMFINZI. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worsening signs or symptoms, which may include: Chest pain, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath or swelling of ankles; confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems; tingling, numbness or weakness of the arms or legs; double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eye sight; persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps, joint pain, joint stiffness or swelling; and low red blood cells and bruising

  • Infusion Reaction Signs and Symptoms

    Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include: chills or shaking, itching or rash, flushing, shortness of breath or wheezing, dizziness, feel like passing out, fever, and back or neck pain

  • Rejection of a Transplanted Organ or Tissue

    Rejection of a transplanted organ or tissue. Your healthcare provider should tell you what signs and symptoms you should report and monitor you depending on the type of organ or tissue transplant that you have had

  • Transplant Complications Symptoms

    Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with IMFINZI. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during your treatment with IMFINZI. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with IMFINZI if you have severe side effects

Before you receive IMFINZI, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have immune system problems such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus
  • have received an organ or tissue transplant, including corneal transplant
  • have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
  • have received radiation treatment to your chest area
  • have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. IMFINZI can harm your unborn baby

    • Females who are able to become pregnant:

    • Your healthcare provider will give you a pregnancy test before you start treatment with IMFINZI.
    • You should use an effective method of birth control during your treatment and for 3 months after the last dose of IMFINZI. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control methods that you can use during this time.
    • Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with IMFINZI.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if IMFINZI passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 3 months after the last dose of IMFINZI.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of IMFINZI?

IMFINZI can cause serious side effects (see above).

The most common side effects of IMFINZI when used with fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) in adults with gastric cancer (GC) or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEJC) that can be removed by surgery include: diarrhea; nausea; inflammation of the nerves causing numbness, weakness, tingling, or burning pain of the arms and legs; feeling tired; hair loss; decreased appetite; rash; stomach (abdominal) pain; vomiting; muscle and joint pain; fever; and pain and sores in the mouth.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of IMFINZI. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products Report side effects related to AstraZeneca products. If you prefer to report these to the FDA, either visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products Report side effects related to AstraZeneca products. If you prefer to report these to the FDA, either visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is IMFINZI?

IMFINZI is used in combination with FLOT prior to and after surgery followed by IMFINZI alone to treat adults with a type of stomach cancer called GC or GEJC that can be removed by surgery.

It is not known if IMFINZI is safe and effective in children.

Please see Full Prescribing Information including Medication Guide for IMFINZI.

What is IMFINZI?

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about IMFINZI® (durvalumab)?

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. IMFINZI can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the...

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat...

Read full Important Safety Information

Important Safety Information

What is IMFINZI?

Minimize Expand

What is the most important information I should know about IMFINZI?

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. IMFINZI can cause your immune system...

Read full Important Safety Information