Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42591391›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2026

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus immunochemotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity-matched analysis of response, survival, lymph node pattern, and immune microenvironment.

Zhou Yehan, Xiaoqing Zhou, Shangzhi Hu, Qiao Yang, Xuefeng Leng, Wenwu He, Qifeng Wang, Jiahua Lyu, Haomiao Qing, Yang Liu and 1 more

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Zhou Yehan *Department of Pathology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Xiaoqing Zhou *Department of Pathology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Shangzhi Hu *Department of Endoscopy, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Qiao YangDepartment of Pathology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Xuefeng LengDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Wenwu HeDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Qifeng WangDepartment of Thoracic Radiation Oncology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Jiahua LyuDepartment of Thoracic Radiation Oncology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Haomiao QingDepartment of Radiology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Yang LiuDepartment of Pathology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Hong YangDepartment of Pathology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: To compare efficacy, survival and tumor immune microenvironment between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) and neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) to guide individualized treatment. Methods: A total of 346 locally advanced ESCC patients after 1:1 propensity score matching were retrospectively analyzed. Pathological, radiological and multiplex immunofluorescence assessments were performed, and survival outcomes were evaluated. Results: NCRT resulted in significantly greater tumor volume reduction (22.09 vs. 15.37 mm³), lower residual primary tumor ratio (14.10% vs. 32.23%), higher tumor downstaging and pathological complete response (pCR) rates (all p < 0.05). NCRT showed more prominent lymph node regression adjacent to the primary tumor than in peripheral nodes. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were comparable between groups. Among pCR patients, NICT achieved significantly better OS (p = 0.0051) and RFS (p = 0.018), while NCRT was associated with superior RFS in non-pCR patients (p = 0.0099). In the NICT group, high PD-L1 expression and low tumor burden tended to correlate with pCR. Immune microenvironment analysis revealed fewer immunosuppressive T cells and immune-evasive tumor cells in the NICT group. Conclusion: NCRT presents superior local tumor regression, while NICT benefits pCR patients by optimizing the immune microenvironment. High PD-L1 expression and low tumor burden favor NICT. These findings support individualized neoadjuvant strategy selection for ESCC.

Indexed as

ChemoradiotherapyEsophageal NeoplasmsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaImmunotherapyLymph NodesNeoadjuvant TherapyTumor MicroenvironmentAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPathologic Complete ResponsePropensity ScoreRetrospective Studiesesophageal squamous cell carcinomaimmune microenvironmentneoadjuvant chemoradiotherapyneoadjuvant immunochemotherapyprognosis

Identifiers

PMID42591391
PMCPMC13461614

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