Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Jul 24, 2025; 16(7): 104959
Published online Jul 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i7.104959
Expanding horizons in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: The promise of induction chemoimmunotherapy with radiotherapy
Wenxue Ma, Natalia Baran
Wenxue Ma, Department of Medicine, Sanford Stem Cell Institute, and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, United States
Natalia Baran, Department of Hematology and Central Hematology Laboratory, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
Natalia Baran, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Section of Experimental Hematology, Warsaw, 02-776, Poland
Author contributions: Ma W reviewed the relevant literature, conceptualized and outlined this editorial, wrote, edited, and finalized the manuscript for publication; Baran N reviewed the manuscript and provided editorial feedback and revisions.
Supported by National Science Centre, Poland, No. 2021/43/B/NZ5/03345.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wenxue Ma, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Medicine, Sanford Stem Cell Institute, and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, San Diego, CA 92093, United States. wma@health.ucsd.edu
Received: January 7, 2025
Revised: February 23, 2025
Accepted: March 13, 2025
Published online: July 24, 2025
Processing time: 196 Days and 16.4 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: This editorial highlights the study by Wei et al, which examines the impact of induction chemoimmunotherapy followed by radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The study demonstrates improved survival outcomes and a manageable safety profile, identifies the effectiveness of induction therapy and maintenance immunotherapy as key prognostic factors. This innovative approach represents a promising advancement in the treatment of ESCC and underscores the need for future prospective trials and mechanistic studies incorporating biomarker investigations to refine therapeutic strategies and enhance patient outcomes.