Neoadjuvant and adjuvant approaches in gastroesophageal cancers

Purpose of review Despite advances in the perioperative treatment of locally advanced (T2-4 and/or N+) gastroesophageal cancer with evolving chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy regimens, prognosis remains poor. Biomarker-based approaches with targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibition present a new opportunity to improve response rate and overall survival. This review aims to shed light on the current treatment strategies and therapy options that are under investigation for the curatively intended perioperative treatment of gastroesophageal cancer. Recent findings A major step for patients with advanced esophageal cancer and insufficient response to chemoradiotherapy was the implementation of immune checkpoint inhibition in the adjuvant treatment with positive effects on survival duration and quality of life (CheckMate577). Various studies that seek to further integrate immunotherapy or targeted therapy into (neo-) adjuvant treatment are on their way and show promising results. Summary Ongoing clinical research tries to increase the effectivity of standard of care approaches for the perioperative treatment of gastroesophageal cancer. Biomarker based immunotherapy and targeted therapy bear the opportunity to further improve the outcome.