Advanced esophageal carcinoma is one of the diseases with a poor prognosis. CF(cisplatin plus 5-FU)therapy and taxanes( paclitaxel or docetaxel)were considered standard treatments for first- and second-line treatment of advanced esophageal carcinoma based on the results of phase Ⅱ trials, although no randomized controlled trials were conducted. Subsequently, anti-epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)inhibitors, which had shown efficacy in head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer, were developed but failed to prolong survival both first- and second-line treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown efficacy as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy in a variety of cancers, including esophageal cancer, where the KEYNOTE-181 trial and the ATTRACTION-3 trial demonstrated that single-agent pembrolizumab and nivolumab extended survival versus chemotherapy, respectively. In addition, the KEYNOTE-590 trial and the CheckMate 648 trial showed that pembrolizumab plus CF therapy was superior to CF, and nivolumab plus CF therapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab were superior to CF in advanced esophageal carcinoma. These combinations have become the standard of care for the first-line treatment of advanced esophageal cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors had prolonged survival, but the results are still unsatisfactory, and CF therapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors and novel agents is being investigated. This article reviews the history of chemotherapy in advanced or recurrent esophageal cancer and discusses future prospects.