Is the addition of cisplatin to S-1 better than S-1 alone for patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer?

The investigators of the recent phase III SPIRITS trial found that the addition of cisplatin to S-1 (a fourth generation oral fluoropyrimidine) provided a significant overall survival advantage (P = 0.04) over treatment with S-1 alone among previously untreated patients with advanced gastric cancer. In addition, the combination had an acceptable safety profile. This trial establishes a new first-line standard treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer in Japan. Level 1 evidence for prolonged survival of patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer has been established for docetaxel (V-325 trial) and cisplatin (SPIRITS trial) but not for S-1. Fluoropyrimidines (S-1 included) have been considered part of standard front-line therapy without the establishment of level 1 evidence for prolonging survival. The future lies in the rapid incorporation of biologic agents in combination with cytotoxics, with a continued focus on safety and convenience, and efforts to individualize therapy for each patient. Individualized therapy may be defined as the selection of optimum treatment for a specific patient on the basis of knowledge of the cancer's genetic and epigenetic alterations and the patient's genotype.