Current and Future Immunotherapy-Based Treatments for Oesophageal Cancers

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Immunotherapy has become a crucial component in the therapeutic options against diseases such as cancer. The development of these treatments to target cancer is built upon the ever-increasing knowledge of the tumour microenvironment for which the alterations in the immune response are associated with disease progression and metastasis. The evolving field of cancer immunotherapy has led to an influx of clinical trials aimed at targeting these changes in the immune response, and a checkpoint inhibitor has recently been included in clinical guidelines as an adjuvant treatment in oesophageal cancer. This review aims to consolidate the current knowledge of immunotherapy options and highlight current clinical trials treating oesophageal cancer that have been completed or are currently underway in order to provide an up-to-date reference to immunotherapeutics for this disease. ABSTRACT: Oesophageal cancer is a disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the prognosis of this condition has hardly improved in the past few years. Standard treatment includes a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery; however, only a proportion of patients go on to treatment intended to cure the disease due to the late presentation of this disease. New treatment options are of utmost importance, and immunotherapy is a new option that has the potential to transform the landscape of this disease. This treatment is developed to act on the changes within the immune system caused by cancer, including checkpoint inhibitors, which have recently shown great promise in the treatment of this disease and have recently been included in the adjuvant treatment of oesophageal cancer in many countries worldwide. This review will outline the mechanisms by which cancer evades the immune system in those diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and will summarize current and ongoing trials that focus on the use of our own immune system to combat disease.