Study summary
Adding pembrolizumab to curative chemoradiation did not help
15.2 vs 14.7 monthsbefore the cancer returned or grew, with vs without pembrolizumab
What was tested
Pembrolizumab or placebo, given with chemoradiation aimed at cure, for esophageal cancer that could not be removed by surgery. Both squamous and adenocarcinoma types were included.
What they found
- No meaningful difference in time before the cancer returned (hazard ratio 0.97) in tumors with high PD-L1.
- Typical survival was 32.2 months with pembrolizumab and 35.0 months without (hazard ratio 1.00).
- More people stopped treatment because of side effects with pembrolizumab: 34% vs 27%.
- The trial was stopped after this analysis.
What it means
Chemoradiation alone stays the standard when surgery is not possible. This was the second large trial of this idea to miss.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team.
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