Pembrolizumab as a first-line therapy in spinocellular esophageal cancer

Abstract

Background: The treatment options in advanced stage of esophageal cancer are very limited. In recent years, a number of clinical trials have evaluated the effect of checkpoint inhibitors in this diagnosis. Case: In our case report, we will demonstrate the administration of pembrolizumab in first-line therapy in generalized squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus with PD-L1 expression > 70%. Complete remission of the disease was achieved by this approach. Conclusion: Our case report shows the importance of investigating the expression of PD-L1 in advanced esophageal cancer. According to previous findings, immunotherapy, unlike chemotherapy, appears to have the potential to elicit a long-term response.