Research Progress on Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Esophageal cancer is a malignancy of the digestive tract characterized by high aggressiveness and poor prognosis. The two main histological subtypes are esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Traditional treatment strategies for esophageal cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. For patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, surgery remains the preferred approach; however, surgery alone often yields unsatisfactory outcomes. Meanwhile, the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy is limited by drug resistance and adverse effects. With the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors, neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy (nICT) has emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy. In recent years, an increasing number of clinical trials have been conducted in this field. This narrative review summarizes current clinical trials involving nICT in resectable or potentially resectable ESCC, and provides an overview of cutting-edge immunotherapeutic strategies and the unresolved challenges that remain.