In this study, people with advanced squamous-cell cancer of the oesophagus who had not yet been treated received one of three treatments: immunotherapy with nivolumab plus chemotherapy, immunotherapy with two drugs (nivolumab and ipilimumab), or chemotherapy alone. After at least 5 years of follow-up, patients who had received nivolumab lived longer than those who had chemotherapy alone. No new or unexpected side effects were reported. The right treatment depends on each patient's situation and should be discussed with your own doctor.
First line, with a fluoropyrimidine and platinum
| Drug | Dose | Route | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous | |||
| Nivolumab | 240 mg every 2 weeks or 480 mg every 4 weeks | IV, 30-minute infusion | Day 1 (given first) |
| Fluoropyrimidine + platinum | As per those drugs' labels | IV | Same day, after nivolumab |
First line, advanced unresectable or metastatic
| Drug | Dose | Route | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous | |||
| Nivolumab | 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks or 360 mg every 3 weeks | IV, 30-minute infusion | Day 1 |
| Ipilimumab | 1 mg/kg | IV, 30-minute infusion | Every 6 weeks |
On the page “Ipilimumab (Yervoy)” · Other cancers, with nivolumab (FDA label, revised 08/2026)
Doses follow the trial protocol, guideline or official drug label (source given in the notes of each regimen). Before prescribing, check blood counts, renal and hepatic function, drug interactions and the patient’s condition, and adjust the dose according to the drug label.
Nivolumab 240 mg IV on days 1 and 15, with fluorouracil 800 mg/m² per day IV on days 1 to 5 and cisplatin 80 mg/m² IV on day 1, in 4-week cycles; nivolumab until progression, unacceptable toxicity or a maximum of 2 years.
Nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks with ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks; until progression, unacceptable toxicity or a maximum of 2 years.
Fluorouracil 800 mg/m² per day on days 1 to 5 and cisplatin 80 mg/m² on day 1, in 4-week cycles.
Source of the regimen details: FDA label for Opdivo (section 14, description of CHECKMATE-648); the 5-year follow-up paper does not restate the doses
Doses are given for the information of specialists, as in this study’s protocol, and are not a prescription. Every drug must be prescribed by the treating physician for the individual patient.
Patients with previously untreated oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) whose disease was unresectable, advanced, recurrent or metastatic. The primary endpoints were assessed in patients with tumour-cell PD-L1 expression ≥1%.
Primary endpoints: overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) by blinded independent central review (BICR) in patients with tumour-cell PD-L1 expression ≥1%.
Key secondary endpoints: OS and PFS by BICR in all randomised patients.
Among all treated patients, grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events were seen in 49% of the nivolumab + chemotherapy group, 33% of the nivolumab + ipilimumab group and 37% of the chemotherapy group. The authors reported no new safety signals.
This 5-year follow-up report shows that the overall survival advantage of nivolumab plus chemotherapy and of nivolumab plus ipilimumab over chemotherapy has been maintained, supporting the use of these regimens in first-line treatment of advanced ESCC. A PFS advantage was seen only for nivolumab plus chemotherapy and not for nivolumab plus ipilimumab. The status of drug approvals and the place of these regimens in clinical guidelines should be checked separately, as the abstract does not mention them.
According to the abstract: the trial was open-label. The primary endpoints were assessed in patients with tumour-cell PD-L1 ≥1%, and no PFS advantage was seen for the nivolumab plus ipilimumab regimen. Other limitations should be checked in the full paper.
This summary was prepared by the editorial team from the published paper; the original paper is the final reference. Read the original abstract on PubMed.
Who are you reading this site as?
Your choice applies to every page; change it any time from the bottom of the page.
Type to search...