New combo shows promise for stomach cancer patients with hidden HER2 signal

NCT ID NCT04309578

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Asan Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This phase II study tested whether adding trastuzumab (a targeted therapy) to standard chemotherapy could help people with advanced stomach or gastroesophageal junction cancer. Unlike typical patients, these participants had tumors that tested negative for HER2 in tissue but positive in the blood. The trial enrolled 28 patients and measured how many responded to treatment, as well as how long they lived without the disease worsening.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Trastuzumab (Herceptin) combined with capecitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy
What this could lead to: If successful, this could offer a new treatment option for advanced gastric cancer patients whose tumors are HER2-negative in tissue but show HER2 activity in the blood.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 28 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The combination also carries typical chemotherapy side effects like nausea, fatigue, and low blood counts.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for ADVANCED GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

adenocarcinoma gastric adenocarcinoma gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

GASTRIC OR GASTROESOPHAGEAL JUNCTION(GEJ) ADENOCARCINOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Asan Medical Center

Seoul, Seoul, South Korea

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.