First-Line PD-1 Inhibitor-Based Therapy for Advanced or Metastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Revised Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Phase III Trials.
Cancer Rep (Hoboken)Sep 1, 2026
Clinical ResearchOncology (Medical)
Vincent Rothweiler, Christoph Roderburg, Muemtaz Koeksal et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated phase III trials comparing first-line PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy to chemotherapy in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The analysis included six trials with 4,137 patients and found that PD-1 inhibitor therapy significantly improved overall survival (OS) compared to chemotherapy alone, with a pooled hazard ratio of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.63-0.74).
Key findings
- PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone (pooled HR 0.68, 95% CI: 0.63-0.74).
- Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events were common in both treatment arms.
- Immune-related toxicities were more frequent with PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy.
- The treatment effect was generally larger in PD-L1-high populations.
Why it matters
The findings support the use of PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy as a standard first-line treatment for advanced/metastatic ESCC, highlighting its significant survival benefit over traditional chemotherapy.