When esophageal or gastroesophageal-junction cancer remains a threat after chemoradiotherapy and surgery because of residual pathological disease, treatment with the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab doubles disease-free survival, according to the results of the large international CheckMate 577 trial.
The treatment, also used for kidney, liver, lung and a host of other cancers, is designed to block the cancer’s defense mechanism against the immune system. It costs about $165,000, sells under the brand name Opdivo.
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine