Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 14, 2023; 29(34): 5020-5037
Published online Sep 14, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i34.5020
Perioperative immunotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Now and future
Yong Liu
Yong Liu, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430011, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Liu Y designed the paper, collected and analyzed the data in the references, and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares no conflicts of interest related to this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yong Liu, Doctor, MD, Chief Doctor, Surgeon, Surgical Oncologist, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 26 Shengli Street, Wuhan 430011, Hubei Province, China. liuyong7575@163.com
Received: April 23, 2023
Peer-review started: April 23, 2023
First decision: July 9, 2023
Revised: July 19, 2023
Accepted: August 15, 2023
Article in press: August 15, 2023
Published online: September 14, 2023
Abstract

Esophageal cancer (EC) ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting the digestive tract. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) stands as the prevailing pathological subtype, encompassing approximately 90% of all EC patients. In clinical stage II-IVA locally advanced ESCC cases, the primary approach to treatment involves a combination of neoadjuvant therapy and surgical resection. Despite concerted efforts, the long-term outcomes for ESCC patients remain unsatisfactory, with dismal prognoses. However, recent years have witnessed remarkable strides in immunotherapy, particularly in the second- and first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic ESCC, with the development of monoclonal antibodies that inhibit programmed death 1 or programmed death ligand 1 demonstrating encouraging responses and perioperative clinical benefits for various malignancies, including ESCC. This comprehensive review aims to present the current landscape of perioperative immunotherapy for resectable ESCC, focusing specifically on the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors during the perioperative period. Additionally, the review will explore promising biomarkers and offer insights into future prospects.

Keywords: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, Immune checkpoint inhibitors, Immunotherapy, Neoadjuvant, Randomized clinical trial

Core Tip: Esophageal cancer ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting the digestive tract. In locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the mainstay of treatment involves neoadjuvant therapy in conjunction with surgical resection. Notably, immunotherapy has achieved significant breakthroughs in the second- and first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic ESCC. This review focuses on the current landscape of perioperative immunotherapy for resectable ESCC and discusses promising biomarkers and future perspectives.