Pretreatment Claudin-18.2 Expression Predicts Poorer Survival Outcomes in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Perioperative Chemotherapy

Background/Objectives: Claudin-18.2 (CLDN18.2) has recently emerged as a therapeutic target in gastric cancer; however, its prognostic relevance in the neoadjuvant setting remains insufficiently defined. We evaluated the clinical significance of CLDN18.2 and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b (FGFR2b) expression in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer treated with neoadjuvant therapy. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 64 patients with locally advanced gastric ca