Immunotherapy for Esophageal Carcinoma: a Narrative Review

The main purpose of systemic treatment for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is to alleviate symptoms and extend the survival period. This systemic treatment is mainly composed of cytotoxic drugs. However, based on the results of phase 3 trials examining programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab, in ESCC, PD-1 inhibitors are expected to become the standard therapy for previously treated ESCC patients. Immunotherapy, as combination therapy, including dual immune checkpoint inhibitors and combination therapy with cytotoxic drugs, is under investigation. This review examines the existing clinical data and describes the future of systemic treatment of advanced ESCC.