Phase 2 trial of toripalimab plus definitive chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Toripalimab is a PD-1 inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but its efficacy in locally advanced (LA) ESCC is not clear. A phase 2 trial at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China) evaluated toripalimab plus definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for unresectable LA ESCC. Complete response was seen in 62% of patients. Median duration of response was 12.1 months (95% CI 5.9-18.2), one-year PFS rate was 54.5% (41.3-72.0) and one-year OS rate was 78.4% (66.9-92.0). One patient died from treatment-related pneumonitis. The authors conclude that the combination of toripalimab and CRT had encouraging activity and acceptable toxicity in patients with LA ESCC.