Modern Immunotherapy for Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in the world. Although its prognosis has improved markedly due to developments in surgical techniques and several perioperative treatments, only a few patients survive. Recently, immunotherapy has been recognized as a novel type of therapy for gastric cancer. In contrast to conventional therapies, immunotherapies produce anti-tumor effects by strengthening the immune functions of tumor cells. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy is a novel immunotherapy. The most important immune checkpoint molecules are cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1). Antibodies against these molecules are currently approved for use as treatments for gastric cancer. Clinicians should use both immune checkpoint blockade therapy and conventional treatments to treat gastric cancer.