Registration Successful...
null you have successfully logged registered and logged in

What to expect during treatment for stomach (gastric) or gastroesophageal junction cancer that can be removed with surgery

Treatment happens in 3 key steps. Each step is an important part of your treatment plan. This overview is designed to give you a general sense of what to expect during treatment. Your doctor will determine exactly how many cycles you may need based on how you respond to treatment. IMFINZI and chemotherapy* infusions are given in cycles. A treatment cycle is typically equal to 4 weeks.

Overview of treatment before and after surgery

This overview is designed to give you a general sense of what to expect during treatment. Your doctor will make adjustments as needed. IMFINZI and chemotherapy* infusions are given in cycles. A treatment cycle is typically equal to 4 weeks.

Pre-surgery

IMFINZI Pre Surgery Cycle
  • You’ll get up to 2 cycles of IMFINZI + chemotherapy.*† The treatment period before surgery is about 8 weeks
  • IMFINZI is given with chemotherapy* at this step to help find and attack cancer cells before surgery. IMFINZI and chemotherapy* may also affect healthy cells

Surgery

Stomach Icon
  • You’ll pause IMFINZI and chemotherapy* to get surgery that aims to remove most of the cancer. The surgery may remove cancer from parts or all of the stomach or the junction of the stomach and the esophagus
  • Sometimes, surgery does not remove all the cancer cells in these areas. That’s why your doctor will continue to treat you with IMFINZI and chemotherapy* after surgery

Post-surgery

IMFINZI Post Surgery Cycle
  • Your doctor will give you IMFINZI + chemotherapy* infusions again for up to 2 cycles†
  • After 2 cycles, your doctor will treat you with IMFINZI alone for up to 10 cycles
  • You’ll get up to 12 post-surgery cycles to continue fighting leftover cancer cells. IMFINZI and chemotherapy* may also affect healthy cells

Swipe to see more

Pre-surgery

IMFINZI Pre Surgery Cycle
  • You’ll get up to 2 cycles of IMFINZI + chemotherapy.*† The treatment period before surgery is about 8 weeks
  • IMFINZI is given with chemotherapy* at this step to help find and attack cancer cells before surgery. IMFINZI and chemotherapy* may also affect healthy cells

Surgery

Stomach Icon
  • You’ll pause IMFINZI and chemotherapy* to get surgery that aims to remove most of the cancer. The surgery may remove cancer from parts or all of the stomach or the junction of the stomach and the esophagus
  • Sometimes, surgery does not remove all the cancer cells in these areas. That’s why your doctor will continue to treat you with IMFINZI and chemotherapy* after surgery

Post-surgery

IMFINZI Post Surgery Cycle
  • Your doctor will give you IMFINZI + chemotherapy* infusions again for up to 2 cycles†
  • After 2 cycles, your doctor will treat you with IMFINZI alone for up to 10 cycles
  • You’ll get up to 12 post-surgery cycles to continue fighting leftover cancer cells. IMFINZI and chemotherapy* may also affect healthy cells

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

†One cycle of chemotherapy means you will get 2 doses of FLOT within that cycle. They will be given on day 1 and day 15.

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

†One cycle of chemotherapy means you will get 2 doses of FLOT within that cycle. They will be given on day 1 and day 15.

Helpful information for each step of treatment

Nutrition as you prepare for surgery

Nutrition as you Prepare for Surgery Icon

At the start of treatment, it may be helpful to work with a registered dietitian to introduce healthy eating habits that can help fuel you through the rest of the journey. It may also be useful to start a food journal at this stage to record your meals and go over everything you eat with a healthcare professional.

Resources you may find helpful as you start treatment

Care Team Guide

Care team guide:

Understand the role of each healthcare professional on your cancer care team

Side Effects Tracker

Side effect tracker:

Keep track of any side effects you experience during treatment—and share them with your doctor

Nutrition during surgery recovery

Talk to your doctor about any dietary concerns as you continue on your treatment journey.

As you recover from surgery, adjusting to your new normal will take time. These tips can help you fuel your body, post-surgery:

  • Eat at least 6-8 small meals each day
  • Choose high-calorie, high-protein foods and drinks
  • Make sure that at least half your meal has protein in it
  • Eat slowly and sit up straight after eating
  • Chew food completely before swallowing
  • Avoid drinking anything during your meal. If you want to have something to drink, drink it 30 minutes before or after eating
  • Do not eat foods high in insoluble fiber or foods that cause excessive gas
  • Avoid foods and drinks with added sugars

Resources you may find helpful as you recover from surgery

Recipes and Eating Tips

Get advice from the Gastric Cancer Foundation's The Gesundheit Kitchen

Tips for Maintaining Weight after Surgery

Find tips for eating after a gastrectomy from Debbie’s Dream Foundation

What to look out for after surgery

There are 2 common conditions that can happen after surgery that you may hear your doctor talk about. One is called B12 deficiency. After surgery, your body may not be able to absorb vitamin B12 the way it used to. This could lead to levels that are too low, which can cause symptoms like tingling, numbness, weakness, or having a hard time walking. Your doctor may mention adding B12 as a supplement to your diet.

The other common condition is called dumping syndrome. After surgery, food may move from the stomach into the small intestine too quickly. This sudden rush of food can make you feel nauseous, lightheaded, and may cause stomach pains or cramping.

Tell your doctor if you experience either of these conditions after surgery.

Resources you may find helpful as you continue treatment with IMFINZI + chemotherapy,* followed by IMFINZI alone:

Get helpful resources from Hope For Stomach Cancer, including tips for coping with emotions during your treatment journey

Tips and resources
IMFINZI’s Care Package

Support for the road ahead

Whether you're starting treatment or recovering from surgery, every bit of support helps. Sign up to receive a free care package filled with important information about IMFINZI and other resources to help you through your treatment journey.

Sign up for the free care package

financial-arrow
Overview of the IMFINZI plus Chemotherapy Treatment Journey Icon

Download the Treatment Journey with IMFINZI + chemotherapy*

Advocacy Groups and Community Support Resources Icon

Learn about the community support groups and resources available to you

Explore financial options that may be available to you

See financial resources

financial-arrow

*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