ArticleFrontiers in oncology2026
Preliminary exploration of the optimal timing of chemoimmunotherapy combined with radiotherapy for oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and analysis of prognostic factors: a multicenter retrospective study.
Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: To explore the optimal timing of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) combined with radiotherapy (RT) for oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and analyze prognostic factors. Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective study, we reviewed 142 patients with oligometastatic ESCC who received first-line RT and CIT between 2019 and 2024. Based on the timing of RT initiation relative to CIT, patients were categorized into three groups: RT-first (n=27), Concurrent (RT within the first 4 cycles of CIT, n=87), and Sequential (RT after 4 cycles of CIT, n=28). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and multivariable Cox regression were utilized to mitigate baseline confounding. Results: Following IPTW adjustment, baseline characteristics were well-balanced. The Concurrent group demonstrated a significantly superior overall survival (OS) compared to the RT-first and Sequential groups (median OS: 22.7 vs. 21.0 vs. 18.1 months, respectively; P = 0.018). Multivariable analysis confirmed that the concurrent strategy was an independent protective factor for OS (HR = 0.595, 95% CI: 0.354-0.999, P = 0.049). Progression-free survival (PFS) and anatomical patterns of first failure did not differ significantly among the three cohorts. Furthermore, the incidence of Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events was comparable across all groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: In patients with oligometastatic ESCC, concurrent integration of RT within the early cycles of first-line chemoimmunotherapy is significantly associated with prolonged overall survival, without increasing severe toxicity, compared to upfront or delayed RT. These findings provide compelling real-world evidence to guide optimal treatment sequencing, warranting further validation in prospective trials.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.