Learn about the latest treatments for advanced esophageal cancer. We’ve got it covered, from new FDA approvals to emerging approaches in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, drug combinations, and more.

  • December 3, 2020 

    A Phase I Study of Telomelysin Added to Chemoradiation for Patients with Advanced Inoperable Esophageal CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recently began recruiting patients for a phase 1 clinical trial to test a treatment in which an investigational cancer cell-killing virus called Telomelysin is directly injected into inoperable esophageal cancer tumors. Participating patients will receive this “cancer vaccine” alongside standard chemoradiation therapy.

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  • December 3, 2020 

    Opdivo Approved in Europe as Second-line Therapy for Advanced Esophageal CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Immuno-Oncology News reports on the European Commission’s approval of the drug nivolumab (Opdivo) for some patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

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  • October 10, 2020 

    Novel Developments in the Multimodality Treatment of Esophageal CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    A special issue of the research journal Annals of Esophagus curated by Contributing Editor George Lundberg, MD.

    This special issue of an academic research journal discusses “multimodality” treatment—the combination of more than one treatment—and how it is used to treat advanced esophageal cancer.

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  • August 7, 2020 

    FDA Approves Merck’s Keytruda, Foundation Medicine CDx for TMB-High Solid TumorsBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from GenomeWeb curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) for solid tumors based solely on whether they have a high tumor mutational burden—a high number of changes in the DNA of the cancer cells.

    Go to full article published by GenomeWeb.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • December 26, 2019 

    Pembrolizumab Approved for Some Patients with Advanced Esophageal CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from the National Cancer Institute curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab for certain advanced esophageal cancers, depending on testing results. The National Cancer Institute explains here.

    Go to full article published by the National Cancer Institute.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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The best part of cancer commons is timely access to a tumor board. It gives reassurance to the patient and family that the current treatment approach is correct and that other options are available.

Caregiver of a cancer patient

Molecular tests help match patients to the personalized treatments that are most likely to work for them. Keep up with new developments in genetic tests, tumor mutations, MSI status, other biomarkers, and additional precision-medicine strategies.

Some of the most promising new treatments for advanced esophageal cancer are currently being tested in patients enrolled in clinical trials. We help you stay up to date on the latest results from these studies.

  • April 12, 2021 

    Adjuvant Nivolumab in Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    An academic research paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine reports new results from a phase III, randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial. In the trial, people with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer that had been surgically resected were treated with either a placebo drug or the drug nivolumab. All patients had previously received chemotherapy before resection and had residual disease after surgery. The findings suggest that nivolumab may be beneficial, as median disease-free survival in was doubled (22 versus 11 months) in the nivolumab treated group compared to the placebo group.

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  • November 24, 2020 

    For Esophageal Cancer, Immunotherapy Likely to Play Larger RoleBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    A blog post from the National Cancer Institute reports that two clinical trials are showing encouraging results for progression-free survival—and one for overall survival—from treatment with immunotherapy drugs in people with advanced esophageal cancer. 

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  • August 15, 2020 

    In a First, Proton Therapy Bests Radiotherapy in an RCTBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Medscape curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    In a clinical trial that compared proton beam therapy with standard radiotherapy for esophageal cancer, the two treatments were found to be virtually identical in terms of progression-free survival, overall survival, and quality of life.

    Go to full news article published by Medscape.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • December 2, 2019 

    Long-term Survival in Esophageal Cancer After Minimally Invasive Compared to Open Esophagectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Research paper from Annals of Surgery curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    This meta-analysis found that minimally invasive surgery tops open esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

    Go to full paper published in Annals of Surgery.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • December 2, 2019 

    Nivolumab Versus Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Refractory or Intolerant to Previous Chemotherapy (Attraction-3): A Multicentre, Randomised, Open-Label, Phase 3 TrialBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Research paper from The Lancet curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    In this clinical trial, nivolumab was somewhat superior to chemotherapy for advanced esophageal carcinoma.

    Go to full paper published in The Lancet.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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Precision oncology is very complicated and changes every day. The scientists of Cancer Commons provide rapid, compassionate, scientifically sound information about best options, a remarkable free service.

Razelle Kurzrock, MD
U.C. San Diego, CureMatch, Inc.

Cancer affects many aspects of life, whether you’re newly diagnosed, in the midst of treatment, or in follow-up care. Learn about ways to maintain quality of life, such as palliative care and managing side effects.

  • October 14, 2019 

    Pediatric Palliative Care: A Specialty Comes of Age

    Sarah Friebert, MD

    For a child with cancer, palliative care can provide much-needed relief from stress and symptoms—for the patient and their family alike. Palliative care is given alongside cancer treatment, and is not synonymous with “end-of-life” care. In fact, anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, no matter their long-term outlook. Because of its importance for children with cancer, we are honored to… Read more »

  • February 11, 2020 

    ‘Impressed With Impact’ of Ketamine in Cancer Palliative CareBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Medscape curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Depression is, for obvious reasons, common in patients with advanced cancer. The old, inexpensive drug ketamine—already approved for medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—seems rapidly effective, according to small studies.

    Go to full article published by Medscape.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • October 7, 2019 

    Emphasizing Oncogeriatrics

    With: Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, MD

    A Q&A with Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, MD, Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom, and Chair of the Young Interest Group of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG); nicolo.battisti@gmail.com Q: Everyone knows that the practice of pediatric oncology is very different from adult oncology. How does the growing field of oncogeriatrics differ from usual adult oncology? A:… Read more »

  • December 3, 2018 

    Best Uses of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Patients with Cancer

    With: Val Jones, MD

    A Q&A with Val Jones, MD, Medical Director of Admissions, Saint Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, Spokane, WA Originally published February 1, 2017 Q: Your principal practice in Spokane, Washington is physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). What do you find to be the best uses of PM&R in patients with cancer at your facility? A: Rehabilitation medicine is one of the best-kept secrets in healthcare. Although the… Read more »

  • September 14, 2018 

    Huge Progress in Palliative Care

    With: Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP

    A Q&A with Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care; Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York, NY; diane.meier@mssm.edu Originally published November 8, 2017 Q: You wrote in MedGenMed in 2007 that palliative care was the job of all hospitals. In October 2017 you were honored at the National Academy of Medicine for… Read more »

  • July 23, 2018 

    Cancer Pain and the Opioid Epidemic

    George Lundberg, MD

    A Q&A with Kevin Sevarino, MD, PhD, President-elect of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and Consulting Psychiatrist at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, CT Q: Opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose are huge American problems right now. Many cancer patents experience chronic pain. What is the best way to use opioids to manage chronic pain? [Note: The views expressed below represent the opinion of the author,… Read more »

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You’re not alone. Read how other patients and caregivers navigated diagnosis, treatment, and life with cancer. We hope their stories provide insights and hope for your own cancer journey.

More patient stories

Learn more about what’s new in advanced cancer research and treatment, including screening and statistics, using artificial intelligence to improve treatment, and other new horizons in cancer care.

  • April 7, 2021 

    Rankings of Most Common and Deadly Cancer Types Will Shift Over Next Two Decades

    In the next two decades, rankings of incidence and death across cancer types will undergo important changes in the U.S., according to new research led by Lola Rahib, PhD, Director of Scientific and Clinical Affairs at Cancer Commons, as well as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Published today in JAMA Network Open,… Read more »

  • May 30, 2021 

    Cancer Support for LGBTQIA Patients Is MissingBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    This piece from ASCO Connection outlines the need for and a path to improvement in cancer care for LGBTQIA patients.

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  • March 29, 2021 

    Can Really Big Data Inform Precise Decisions for Individual Patients?

    With: Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA

    New technologies are transforming cancer research. By optimizing research protocols and leveraging data more efficiently and intelligently, these tools hold the promise to improve personalized cancer care. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA, VP of Informatics at TriNetX, LLC, about the capabilities of his company’s platform. Curious Dr. George: Translational medicine has evolved to include personalized medicine and… Read more »

  • November 10, 2020 

    How to Learn About Cancer in a Classroom: Shaping Compassionate Doctors

    With: Marin Langlieb

    The patients and caregivers we serve here at Cancer Commons rely on their doctors to provide expert, compassionate care. Building the skills to give such care can begin early in a doctor’s education. Here, for a change of pace, our Curious Dr. George asks a future doctor about a unique experience that helped her learn how to connect with cancer patients. Marin Langlieb is… Read more »

  • September 9, 2020 

    Is Cancer the Best Way to Die?

    With: Richard Smith, CBE, FMedSci

    In 2014, the prestigious medical research journal The BMJ published a controversial piece called “Dying of cancer is the best death.” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks the author of that piece, Richard Smith, CBE, FMedSci, if and how his thoughts on death have since evolved. Dr. Smith was Editor of The BMJ from 1991 to 2004 and is currently Chair of the Lancet Commission… Read more »

  • August 21, 2020 

    The Power of Precision Medicine is Exemplified by Tempus

    With: Nike Beaubier, MDNamratha Sastry, PhD

    Tempus—a tech company & partner of Cancer Commons—empowers doctors to make data-driven decisions for their patients in real time. Learn how.

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The coronavirus pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to cancer patients. We can help you understand how COVID-19 might impact your treatment and other aspects of your cancer care.