Objective  To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and economic efficiency of toripalimab therapy for advanced esophageal cancer by rapid health technology assessment (rHTA), so as to provide clinical reference for drug use.

Methods  PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP databases and official websites of health technology assessment institutions were electronically searched to collect high-quality clinical evidence and economic evaluation literature of toripalimab therapy for advanced esophageal cancer from inception to September 30, 2025. Two reviewers independently identified studies, extracted data, assessed the quality of included studies, then the results were summarised and analysed using qualitative descriptive methods.

Results  A total of 18 articles were included, including 9 systematic reviews/Meta-analysis and 9 economic studies. In terms of efficacy, compared with the simple chemotherapy regimen, the combination chemotherapy regimen of toripalimab could significantly prolong the overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) of patients with advanced esophageal cancer, while improving the objective response rate (ORR) of patients. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference in the incidence of serious adverse events and overall adverse events between combination chemotherapy with toripalimab and chemotherapy alone. Moreover, compared with other immunotherapy combination therapies, the incidence of adverse events in combination chemotherapy with toripalimab was lower. In terms of economy, the combination of toripalimab and chemotherapy not only improves the clinical symptoms of advanced esophageal cancer patients, but also offers economic advantages.

Conclusion  Toripalimab is effective, safe and economical in the treatment of advanced esophageal cancer.

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