Single-center phase 2 trial of neoadjuvant serplulimab plus chemotherapy for resectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

A phase 2 trial at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) evaluated the combination of serplulinab (anti-PD-1) and carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel as neoadjuvant treatment for resectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA ESCC). Patients underwent three cycles of neoadjuvant therapy. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) assessed by two independent pathologists, and was defined as no residual viable tumors at both the primary tumor site and all the lymph nodes. Among 45 evaluable patients, 14 (31%; 95% CI 18.2-46.6) achieved pCR, and the two-year overall survival rate was 88.3%. In total, 85.4% of patients experienced adverse events of any grade, and 4.2% had grade 3 adverse events. The authors conclude that neoadjuvant serplulimab plus chemotherapy had antitumor activity and a tolerable safety profile in patients with LA ESCC.