Efficacy of 2 vs 3 Cycles of Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Gan Yi, Bao Ting, Tang Zhiwei, Cheng Chao, Zhu Haoshuai
Primary Institution: The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Hypothesis
What is the optimal number of cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma?
Conclusion
Both 2 cycles and 3 cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy are equally effective and have similar safety profiles for treating locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Supporting Evidence
- The pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was similar between the 2-cycle group (32.14%) and the 3-cycle group (31.82%).
- All patients achieved R0 surgical resection.
- There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between the two groups.
Takeaway
Doctors are trying to find out if giving 2 or 3 rounds of special cancer medicine before surgery works better, but it turns out both are about the same.
Methodology
Patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma received either 2 or 3 cycles of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, followed by surgery, and their responses were compared.
Potential Biases
The study may have experimental bias due to the small number of patients and being conducted at a single center.
Limitations
This was a single-center retrospective study with a relatively small sample size.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 18-75 years with pathologist-confirmed clinical TNM stage II-III locally advanced esophageal cancer.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P=0.97
Statistical Significance
p>0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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