Quantity and quality.

KEYNOTE-181 established the efficacy of pembro monotherapy as second-line therapy for advanced esophageal cancer among squamous cell carcinomas and the third of cases with a PD-L1 combined positive score of ≥10. While achieving longer survival is a worthy endpoint in itself, at what cost does it come? This pre-planned secondary analysis of health-related quality of life suggests at no cost, at least when measured out to 9 weeks as compared to physician’s choice chemo as was received in the standard arm. Granted the authors comprise quite the Who’s Who list of Big Pharma payrolls, such analyses remain vital when modest survival benefits are to be gained at a large financial cost. | Addenis, J Clin Oncol 2021