IMPACT OF PD-1 AND PD-L1 INHIBITORS ON PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES IN ESOPHAGEAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CLINICAL TRIALS
Author(s)
Sun Choi, PharmD, MS1, Wesley Wong, PharmD1, Philip Buck, PhD, MPH2, Jason Allaire, PhD1.
1Generativity Solutions Group, Emerald Isle, NC, USA, 2Generativity Solutions Group, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
1Generativity Solutions Group, Emerald Isle, NC, USA, 2Generativity Solutions Group, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has a poor prognosis and causes symptoms such as dysphagia and weight loss that substantially impair patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). For unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic ESCC, chemotherapy combined with an immune checkpoint inhibitor is recommended as preferred treatment and is widely used in real-world practice. This systematic literature review evaluated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among ESCC patients treated with PD‑1/PD-L1 inhibitors across clinical trials.
METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases, supplemented by Elicit, to identify clinical trial publications reporting the effects of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors on PROs in patients with ESCC. The search included all relevant publications available up to July 20, 2025. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: 1) conducted in patients with ESCC; 2) reported PROs, including HRQoL, as part of a clinical trial investigating PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors; 3) published manuscripts in English.
RESULTS: A total of 18 ESCC clinical trial publications met eligibility criteria. The trials included nivolumab, tislelizumab, camrelizumab, sintilimab, and pembrolizumab; they assessed PROs using the EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-OES18, EQ-5D, and FACT-E questionnaires with follow-up durations ranging from 8 to 60 weeks. Overall, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-based regimens consistently demonstrated maintenance or improvement in assessed PROs compared with chemotherapy alone. Nivolumab demonstrated maintenance or improvement in HRQoL. Tislelizumab showed significantly less worsening/maintenance in global health status and fatigue, as well as improved reflux symptoms. Camrelizumab and sintilimab demonstrated maintenance or improvement in HRQoL and ESCC-related symptoms (e.g., dysphagia, pain). Pembrolizumab generally maintained HRQoL with improvements in dysphagia and pain symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: Clinical trial publications indicated that PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors consistently maintained or improved PROs compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with ESCC. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors especially had a positive impact on global health status, functional domains, and key ESCC-related symptoms.
METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases, supplemented by Elicit, to identify clinical trial publications reporting the effects of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors on PROs in patients with ESCC. The search included all relevant publications available up to July 20, 2025. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: 1) conducted in patients with ESCC; 2) reported PROs, including HRQoL, as part of a clinical trial investigating PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors; 3) published manuscripts in English.
RESULTS: A total of 18 ESCC clinical trial publications met eligibility criteria. The trials included nivolumab, tislelizumab, camrelizumab, sintilimab, and pembrolizumab; they assessed PROs using the EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-OES18, EQ-5D, and FACT-E questionnaires with follow-up durations ranging from 8 to 60 weeks. Overall, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-based regimens consistently demonstrated maintenance or improvement in assessed PROs compared with chemotherapy alone. Nivolumab demonstrated maintenance or improvement in HRQoL. Tislelizumab showed significantly less worsening/maintenance in global health status and fatigue, as well as improved reflux symptoms. Camrelizumab and sintilimab demonstrated maintenance or improvement in HRQoL and ESCC-related symptoms (e.g., dysphagia, pain). Pembrolizumab generally maintained HRQoL with improvements in dysphagia and pain symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: Clinical trial publications indicated that PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors consistently maintained or improved PROs compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with ESCC. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors especially had a positive impact on global health status, functional domains, and key ESCC-related symptoms.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
PCR97
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
SDC: Gastrointestinal Disorders, SDC: Oncology