AUTHOR=Sun Mengfei , Yang Pengjie , Yang Ting , Zhang Jingjing , Li Hui , Li Yong , Zhu Benben 

TITLE=Immunotherapy in the perioperative management of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: recent developments

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1611284

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2025.1611284

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=Esophageal cancer ranks among the most prevalent malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), accounting for approximately 90% of all esophageal cancer (EC) cases, represents the dominant pathological subtype. For locally advanced ESCC at clinical stages II-IVA, surgery-based multidisciplinary treatment remains the primary management strategy. Despite concerted efforts, long-term outcomes for ESCC patients remain suboptimal. Recent years have witnessed significant advancements in immunotherapy, with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors demonstrating promising efficacy across various malignancies, particularly in ESCC. This review synthesizes the current landscape of perioperative immunotherapy for resectable ESCC, emphasizing the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the perioperative setting. Additionally, it highlights unresolved challenges in ongoing clinical research and provides insights into future directions for ESCC immunotherapy.