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Oesophageal Cancer — SCE Medical Oncology MCQ

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HardGI CancersOesophageal CancerSCE Medical Oncology

A fit patient has untreated metastatic gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma with HER2 immunohistochemistry score 3+. Which first-line regimen is NICE recommended?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: CTrastuzumab with cisplatin and either capecitabine or fluorouracil

Explanation lettering: B = shown as A · A = shown as B

C is correct. NICE TA208 recommends trastuzumab with cisplatin and capecitabine or fluorouracil for untreated metastatic gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma with high HER2 expression defined as IHC 3+. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is used after prior HER2-directed therapy, nivolumab-based chemotherapy does not replace indicated trastuzumab in this molecular subgroup, and TA983 did not recommend adding pembrolizumab to trastuzumab-chemotherapy for NHS use. Chemotherapy alone omits an effective biomarker-directed component. The stem was narrowed from oesophageal adenocarcinoma to the exact gastric or junctional population covered by the appraisal.

Reference: NICE TA208 trastuzumab in HER2-positive metastatic gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta208/chapter/1-Recommendations