Pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma enrolled in the randomized KEYNOTE-181 trial in Asia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In the randomized phase III KEYNOTE-181 study, pembrolizumab prolonged overall survival (OS) compared with chemotherapy as second-line therapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥10. We report a post hoc subgroup analysis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) enrolled in KEYNOTE-181 in Asia, including patients from the KEYNOTE-181 China extension study.

Patients and methods

Three hundred and forty Asian patients with advanced/metastatic ESCC were enrolled in KEYNOTE-181, including the China cohort. Patients were randomly assigned 1 : 1 to receive pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks for ≤2 years or investigator's choice of paclitaxel, docetaxel, or irinotecan. OS, progr

SUBMITTER: Cao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8764510 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature