Tislelizumab Improves Survival in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer

FDA-approved treatments for metastatic esophageal squamous cell cancer include pembrolizumab or nivolumab plus chemotherapy in the first line, ipilimumab plus nivolumab without chemotherapy in the first line, and single-agent pembrolizumab or nivolumab in the second line. Investigators now report results of the international, industry-sponsored, phase 3 RATIONALE-306 trial evaluating the addition of the anti-PD-1 agent tislelizumab to chemotherapy in metastatic esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Patients were randomized to receive either tislelizumab (200 mg) or placebo on day 1 of 21-day cycles along with investigator's choice of chemotherapy — oxaliplatin or cisplatin combined with capecitabine, continuous-infusion 5-FU, or paclitaxel. Of th…