Fu R, Jing CQ, Li XR, et al. - Researchers focused on the prognostic worth of soluble programmed cell death ligand 1 (sPD-L1) in serum of patients suffering from locally advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who underwent cytotoxic chemotherapy as first-line treatment. This study included 190 ESCC patients. A high expression of sPD-L1 level was evident in ESCC, particularly in female patients. A shorter overall survival was experienced by patients with a high sPD-L1 level (≥ 0.63 ng/mL) vs those with a low sPD-L1 level (< 0.63 ng/mL). Findings revealed absence of a significant correlation between serum sPD-L1 level and tissue PD-L1 expression level. In locally advanced or metastatic ESCC cases managed with combination cytotoxic chemotherapy, sPD-L1 level prior to treatment could serve as an effective as well as a convenient biomarker of prognosis.