Programmed Death Ligand-1 Expression in Gastric Cancers Diagnosed at the University Teaching Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

Objective: Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health problem worldwide due to its frequency, delayed diagnosis, treatment limitations and poor prognosis. Recently, immunotherapeutic agents targeting immunosuppressive proteins such as anti-programmed death ligand-1 have emerged as effective treatment options for advanced cancers including GC. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 in GC cases and its association with various clinicopathological variables at a referral health centre in Zambia. Results: GC tissues from 41 patients were evaluated, of which 27 (65.9%) were females and 14 (34.1%) were males. The median age was 63 years (IQR, 56-76 years). Six (14.6%) showed positive expression (CPS≥1) while 35 (85.4%) did not show expression (CPS<1). PD-L1 expression did not show significant associations with any of the clinicopathological variables included. This study demonstrated that a proportion of GCs in our setting express PD-L1, a potentially therapeutically actionable finding that patients with advanced stage cancer may benefit from.