Atezolizumab following definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma – a multicenter phase 2 trial (EPOC1802)

Platinum-based definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) is the standard treatment for patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) that invades the aorta, vertebral body or trachea; however, complete response rates remain low (11–25%), leading to poor survival. To evaluate the additive efficacy of the anti-PD-L1 antibody drug atezolizumab, we conducted a phase 2, multicenter, single-arm trial of 1 year of atezolizumab treatment following dCRT in 40 patients with unresectable locally advanced ESCC recruited from seven Japanese centers (UMIN000034373). The confirmed complete response (cCR) rate (primary end point) of the first consecutive 38 patients was 42.1% (90% CI 28.5–56.7%). Regarding the secondary end points, the median progression-free survival and 12-month progression-free survival rates of all 40 patients were 3.2 months and 29.6%, respectively, and the preliminary median overall survival with short-term follow-up and 12-month overall survival rate were 31.0 months and 65.8%, respectively. Other secondary end points evaluated included the cCR rate determined by an investigator’s assessment in the locoregionally recurrent ESCC cohort, cCR rate determined by central assessment, overall response rate and incidence of adverse events. No treatment-related death occurred during the study. Atezolizumab monotherapy after dCRT resulted in a promising cCR rate, although long-term survival data are required. Bando et al. perform a phase II trial of atezolizumab monotherapy following platinum-based definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and report a complete response rate of 42%.