Background: The real-world efficacy, feasibility, and prognostic factors of immune-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy for unresectable or metastatic esophageal cancer are not fully established.
Methods: This multi-institutional retrospective cohort study evaluated 71 consecutive patients treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy for esophageal cancer between March 2021 and December 2022. We assessed tumor response, safety, and long-term survival.
Results: In patients with measurable lesions, the response rate was 58%, and the disease control rate for all enrolled patients was 80%. Five patients (7.0%) underwent successful conversion surgery. Grade 3 or higher immune-related adverse events occurred in 13% of patients, and one patient (1.4%) died due to cholangitis. Median progression-free survival was 9.7 (95% confidence interval: 6.5-not reached). C-reactive protein levels and performance status were identified as significant predictors of progression-free survival through Cox proportional hazards analysis.
Conclusions: Immune-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy for esophageal cancer demonstrated comparable tumor response, safety, and long-term survival to previous randomized clinical trials. Patients with good performance status and low C-reactive protein levels may be suitable candidates for this treatment.
Keywords: Antineoplastic agents; Clinical malignant; Esophageal neoplasms; Immunotherapy.
© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Japan Society of Clinical Oncology.