Landscape of interventional clinical trials involving gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Clinical Trials in Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery: Assessing Trial Characteristics, Early Discontinuation, Result Reporting, and Publication

BACKGROUND

Hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) diseases carry high morbidity despite efforts aimed at their reduction. An assessment of their trial characteristics is paramount to determine trial design adequacy and highlight areas for improvement. As such, the aim of this study is to assess HPB surgery trial characteristics, summarize logistic, financial, and practical reasons behind early discontinuation, and propose potential interventions to prevent this in the future.

METHODS

All clinical trials investigating HPB surgery registered on ClinicalTrials.gov from October 1st, 2007 (inclusive), to April 20th, 2021 (inclusive), were examined. Trial characteristics were collected including, but not limited to, study phase, duration, patient enrollment size, location, and study design. Peer-reviewed publications associated with the selected trials were also assessed to determine outcome reporting.

RESULTS

A total of 1776 clinical trials conducted in 43 countries were identified, the majority of which were conducted in the USA. Of these trials, 32% were reported as "completed" whereas 12% were "discontinued." The most common cause of trial discontinuation was low accrual, which was reported in 37% of terminated studies. These resulted in 413 published studies. Most trials had multiple assignment, randomized, or open-label designs. Treatment was the most common study objective (73%) with pharmacological therapy being the most commonly studied intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

The main reasons for early discontinuation of clinical trials in HPB surgery are poor patient recruitment and inadequate funding. Improved trial design, recruitment strategies and increased funding are needed to prevent trial discontinuation and increase publication rates of HPB surgery clinical trials.

The Implication of Gastric Microbiome in the Treatment of Gastric Cancer

Simple Summary

Gastric cancer (GC) represents the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Recent developments in PCR and metagenomics clarify that the stomach contains a powerful microbiota. Conventional treatments for GC that include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are not very effective. That’s why new therapeutic strategies are needed. The intestinal microbiota is involved in oncogenesis and cancer prevention, and the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Recent studies have shown that certain bacteria may enhance the effect of some traditional antineoplastic drugs and immunotherapies.

Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and deadly malignancies worldwide. Helicobacter pylori have been documented as a risk factor for GC. The development of sequencing technology has broadened the knowledge of the gastric microbiome, which is essential in maintaining homeostasis. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of the gastric microbiome in the development of GC. Therefore, the elucidation of the mechanism by which the gastric microbiome contributes to the development and progression of GC may improve GC’s prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about changes in gastric microbial composition in GC patients, their role in carcinogenesis, the possible therapeutic role of the gastric microbiome, and its implications for current GC therapy.