Equivalent Long-term Survival with Neoadjuvant FLOT versus SOX in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: 5-Year Follow-up of the Dragon III Trial

BackgroundBoth FLOT and SOX neoadjuvant regimens are widely used for locally advanced gastric cancer; however, direct head-to-head survival data to guide optimal treatment selection are lacking. MethodsWe conducted an open-label, randomized, phase 2 trial (NCT03636893) at a single center in China. Patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (cT3-4b, cN1-3, cM0) were randomized to receive neoadjuvant FLOT (four cycles) or SOX (three cycles) before D2 gastrectomy. We report the long-term survival outcomes with 5-year follow-up in 74 randomized patients through May 2025. ResultsThe first prospective comparison demonstrated remarkable outcomes for both regimens. With median follow-up of 65.7 months, median overall survival exceeded 5 years in both groups: 61.5 months (95% CI: not reached) for FLOT versus 67.8 months (95% CI: 25.7-109.9) for SOX, with no significant difference (HR 1.101, 95% CI: 0.595-2.036, p=0.759). Disease-free survival was equivalent (23.0 vs 25.5 months, HR 1.060, p=0.842). Clinicopathological factors proved to be more prognostic than regimen choice: complete/subtotal tumor regression achieved 80.5-month survival versus 47.6 months for partial response (p=0.017), whereas gastrectomy type emerged as the strongest independent predictor (HR 3.619 for total vs. partial gastrectomy, p=0.010). Both regimens demonstrated favorable safety profiles with manageable toxicity. ConclusionsThis study establishes equivalent long-term survival between the FLOT and SOX regimens. With both achieving 5-year survival, treatment selection should prioritize patient factors, institutional experience, and practical considerations, rather than expected survival differences. Optimizing the pathological response and surgical approach appears more critical than specific regimen choice. FundingThis research received no specific grant funding.