The combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy and dual immunotherapy can be life-changing in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced esophageal cancer. This is highlighted by the CheckMate-648 study, presented today at the Congress of Asco, the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 970 patients with this type of cancer were involved, in its advanced or metastatic squamous cell form and never treated before. “In the former, the combination of nivolumab plus chemotherapy – explains Stefano Cascinu, head of the oncological medicine unit Irccs San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, talking about the molecule whose use for this tumor form has not yet been approved by AIFA – showed truly impressive advantage in terms of median overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone, equal to 15.4 months compared to 9.1 months. The result achieved by the combination of the two immuno-oncological molecules, nivolumab and ipilimumab, was also excellent, equal to 13 , 7 months compared to 9.1 months of chemotherapy alone “. In 2020, 2,400 new cases of esophageal cancer were estimated in Italy, a figure that is constantly increasing. “About half have the disease already in an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis – continues Cascinu – Today chemotherapy is the standard treatment for these patients, but the prognosis remains unfavorable because survival does not exceed 10 months. Hence the importance of identify new options “. “Alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking are closely related to the scaly form of esophageal cancer – concludes Cascinu – This is why it is important to promote prevention campaigns to increase early diagnosis and defeat the disease”
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