Gut bugs may hold key to stomach cancer treatment success

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years, gender not restricted; * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) score 0-2, with -an expected survival period of more than 3 months; * Metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer confirmed by cytology or histopathology; * Laboratory test data within 7 days before screening (including 7 days) should meet the following requirements: neutrophil count ≥ 1.5×109/L, platelet count ≥ 80×109/L, hemoglobin ≥ 80g/L, total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN); ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 x ULN, if liver metastasis is present, ALT and AST ≤ 5 x ULN; albumin ≥ 30g/L; serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or creatinine clearance rate (CCr) ≥ 60ml/min. * At least one evaluable lesion (according to RECIST 1.1 criteria); * No previous palliative chemotherapy and planned for first-line immunotherapy (nivolumab, sintilimab, tislelizumab, pembrolizumab as recommended by guidelines, specifically determined by the attending physician) combined with chemotherapy (FOLFOX, XELOX, SOX, specifically determined by the attending physician), and combination with fruquintinib is allowed (only for patients enrolled in the trial with the number HMPL-013-SH-GC103); * The subject (or their legal representative/guardian) must sign the informed consent form, indicating that they understand the purpose of this study, are aware of the necessary procedures, and are willing to participate in this study. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or lactating women, and women of childbearing age who have not taken adequate contraceptive measures; * Patients with a history of other malignant tumors within 5 years, except for those with a history of cured cervical carcinoma in situ or non-melanoma skin cancer; Patients with primary brain tumors or central nervous system metastases that are not under control, and those with obvious intracranial hypertension or neuropsychiatric symptoms; * Patients with the following severe or uncontrolled diseases: severe heart disease, unstable condition despite treatment, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, significant pericardial effusion or unstable arrhythmia within 6 months before enrollment; definite neurological or psychiatric disorders, including dementia or epileptic seizures; severe or uncontrolled infections; active disseminated intravascular coagulation, or patients with obvious bleeding tendencies; * Patients with significant damage to important organs; * Patients with pleural effusion or ascites causing respiratory syndrome (≥CTCAE grade 2 dyspnea) requiring local treatment; * Other conditions where the investigator deems the patient unsuitable for participation in this trial; * Patients who have been taking probiotics or antibiotics for a long time.