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Immune checkpoint inhibitors: a new era for esophageal cancer

Li-Qing Zou1,2, Xi Yang1,2, Yi-Da Li1,2

  • 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center , Shanghai , China.

Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy
|August 20, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed death receptor-1/programmed death receptor ligand-1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 show promise for esophageal cancer treatment. Combining these with chemoradiotherapy may offer a safe and effective therapeutic strategy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunotherapy

Background:

  • Esophageal cancer (EC) has a poor prognosis, necessitating novel treatment approaches.
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) demonstrate efficacy and safety across various cancers.
  • Targeting programmed death receptor-1/programmed death receptor ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) or cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) pathways shows potential for EC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the prognostic value of immune checkpoint expression in EC.
  • To summarize current clinical studies of ICIs in EC patients.
  • To discuss future therapeutic directions for EC.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical studies and prognostic significance of immune checkpoints in EC.
  • Analysis of data on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapies in EC.
  • Synthesis of expert opinions on current and future EC treatment strategies.

Main Results:

  • Clinical studies report favorable survival outcomes with manageable toxicity for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 treatments in EC.
  • Immune checkpoint expression has prognostic significance in esophageal cancer.
  • Further clinical studies are anticipated to provide more data.

Conclusions:

  • ICIs targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 are promising for EC treatment, offering good survival and manageable toxicity.
  • Combination therapy of chemoradiotherapy with ICIs is a potential strategy for safe and effective anti-tumor immune responses in EC.
  • Continued research and clinical trials are essential to optimize ICI use in esophageal cancer management.
Keywords:
Programmed death receptor-1cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4esophagus cancerimmuneprogrammed death receptor ligand-1

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