Pre-Operative Pembrolizumab + Chemoradiation in Patients With Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Summary

To investigate the safety and activity of preoperative pembrolizumab combined with chemoradiotherapy for resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) ,20 patients enrolled in Phase Ib PALACE-1(NCT03792347).The results showed that preoperative pembrolizumab with concurrent chemoradiotherapy was safe, did not delay surgery and induced a pCR in 55.6% of resected tumors. In this multicentre prospective study(PALACE-2),the investigators will evaluate the efficacy of preoperative pembrolizumab with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Timeline

Start

2020-08-11

Primary completion

2024-06-30

Completion

2024-06-30

Publications

• Li C, Han Y, Zhao S, Kang X, Zheng Y, Cao Y, Yan Y, Shi L, Wang X, Lu T, Zou G, Li H, Che J, Xiang J, Zhu L, Hang J, Zhang Y, Jin R, Han D, Chen X, Jing H, Guo W, Cheng Z, Zhao L, Chen X, Yu B, Li J, Li B, Li Y, Li H. Preoperative pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1 antibody) combined with chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a phase 1/2 trial (PALACE-2). Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2025 Nov 28;10(1):386. doi: 10.1038/s41392-025-02477-4.
• Zheng Y, Li C, Yu B, Zhao S, Li J, Chen X, Li H. Preoperative pembrolizumab combined with chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Trial design. JTCVS Open. 2021 Nov 10;9:293-299. doi: 10.1016/j.xjon.2021.11.003. eCollection 2022 Mar.
• Li C, Zhao S, Zheng Y, Han Y, Chen X, Cheng Z, Wu Y, Feng X, Qi W, Chen K, Xiang J, Li J, Lerut T, Li H. Preoperative pembrolizumab combined with chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (PALACE-1). Eur J Cancer. 2021 Feb;144:232-241. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.11.039. Epub 2020 Dec 26.

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Indications