Multicenter retrospective study of induction immunochemotherapy versus chemotherapy for initially unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

A retrospective cohort study at four centers in China compared the surgical conversion rate and overall survival between induction immunochemotherapy (iIC) and induction chemotherapy (iC) in patients with initially unresectable squamous cell carcinoma (iuESCC). A total of 309 iuESCC patients were included: 150 in the iIC group and 159 in the iC group. The surgical conversion rate was 84.7% in the iIC group and 49.7% in the iC group (p<0.001). Pathologic complete response rates in the two groups were 22.0% and 5.1% (pxtagstartz0.001). Median overall survival was not reached in the iIC group and was 36.3 months in the iC group. Significant prognostic factor for overall survival were iIC versus iC (HR 0.215; p<0.001) and operation (yes versus no HR 0.262; p<0.001). The author conclude that among iuESCC patients, iIC versus IC was associated with higher conversion rate and improved overall survival.