Abstract: Background and purpose: Chemotherapy remains the main treatment method for metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, no standard regimen has been established as first-line therapy for metastatic ESCC. The purpose of this study was to observe the clinical efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel plus nedaplatin as first-line therapy in patients with metastatic ESCC. Methods: Clinical outcomes of 31 patients with metastatic ESCC in Changhai Hospital between Feb. 2016 and Feb. 2019 were analyzed. These patients received albumin-bound paclitaxel combined with nedaplatin as first-line therapy. Albumin-bound paclitaxel was administered at a dose of 130 mg/m ² on day 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. Nedaplatin was administered at a dose of 70 mg/m ² on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. Evaluation of tumor response was performed according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 (RECIST 1.1). Toxicities were graded using version of the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) 5.0. Results: All patients were available for evaluation. Of the 31 patients, 1 case (3.2%) got complete response (CR), 20 cases (64.5%) got partial response (PR), 9 cases (29.0%) had stable disease (SD) and 1 case (3.2%) had progressive disease (PD). The objective response rate (ORR) was 67.7%, the disease control rate (DCR) was 96.8% and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.4 months. The main toxicities included hematological toxicity, sensory neuropathy, arthralgia, myalgia, gastrointestinal reactions and alopecia. Conclusion: The combination of albumin-bound paclitaxel and nedaplatin is found to be an effective and tolerable option as first-line therapy for patients with metastatic ESCC.

Key words: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, Albumin-bound paclitaxel, Nedaplatin, Chemotherapy