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World J Gastroenterol. Feb 21, 2014; 20(7): 1657-1666
Published online Feb 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i7.1657
Immunotherapy in gastric cancer
Satoko Matsueda, David Y Graham
Satoko Matsueda, Cancer Vaccine Development Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
David Y Graham, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Author contributions: Matsueda S and Graham DY contributed equally to this work.
Supported by Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Cancer Vaccine Development Division, Kurume University to Matsueda S; in part by the Office of Research and Development Medical Research Service Department of Veterans Affairs, Public Health Service grants DK067366 and DK56338 which funds the Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center to Graham DY
Correspondence to: David Y Graham, MD, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Rm 3A-318B (111D), Houston, TX 77030, United States. dgraham@bcm.edu
Telephone: +1-713-7950232 Fax: +1-713-7901040
Received: September 27, 2013
Revised: November 15, 2013
Accepted: December 12, 2013
Published online: February 21, 2014
Processing time: 165 Days and 15.2 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: In the majority of cases gastric cancer is advanced at diagnosis and although medical and surgical treatments have improved, survival rates remain poor. Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a powerful tool for cancer therapy and has recently shown major success in breast cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma. The field of cancer immunotherapy is in the midst of a huge transition due to the discovery of immunological networks and better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of immunosuppression in the cancer microenvironment. We discuss how immunotherapy will most likely play a major role in the cure of cancer.