Narrative review of pembrolizumab for the treatment of esophageal cancer: evidence and outlook
Year: 2021
Type: review
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Based on the current evidence, review the efficacy and safety profile of pembrolizumab, along with its shortcomings, in an effort to define future research directions. BACKGROUND: The survival outcome of esophageal cancer (EC) is poor, especially in patients with advanced stage. Palliative surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy have limited efficacy in prolonging the survival time. Currently, immunotherapies, including adoptive cell therapy-based, antibody-based, and vaccine-based therapies, are attracting considerable attention. The mechanism of immunotherapy lies in the modification of immune response and prevention of immune escape. Immunomodulatory agents can block the programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway, thereby allowing lymphocytes to attack tumor cells. This class of drugs has the potential to treat a variety of tumors and may substantially improve overall survival (OS) in some patients. Multiple clinical trials have shown that pembrolizumab has good efficacy and safety, enhances the EC treatment paradigm, and has even become the first-line treatment of choice for patients with PD-L1-positive recurrent or metastatic EC. METHODS: We reviewed the results of clinical trials of pembrolizumab for EC and gastroesophageal cancer presented at Embase, PubMed, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meetings, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab has good efficacy and tolerability profiles, and has emerged as a second-line option for the treatment of PD-L1-positive locally advanced or metastatic ESCC. Pembrolizumab has many promising applications, and further investigations into its mechanisms should be conducted.
Source: Annals of Translational Medicine
DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-2804
Institutions: Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Taizhou Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Inserm, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée Nantes Angers, Université de Nantes, Nantes Université, City Of Hope National Medical Center, City of Hope, Mayo Clinic
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3195454430