Efficacy analysis of apatinib combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced second-line gastric cancer

Cuizhen Fan¹, Hongqiang Guo², Yuping Chu1, Guangyu An¹

¹Department of Oncology, Beijing ChaoYang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, PR China - ²Department of Medical Oncology, He Nan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan, PR China

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of apatinib combined with irinotecan and tegafur in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: Data of 67 patients with advanced second-line gastric cancer were collected and divided into two groups according to treatment methods. The chemotherapy group was given irinotecan and tegafur combined treatment, while the apatinib group was given chemotherapy and apatinib treatment. The clinical efficacy, survival time and adverse reactions of the two groups were analyzed.

Results: The objective remission rate and disease control rate in the chemotherapy group were 18.75% and 62.5%, respectively, significantly lower than those 25.71% and 85.71% in apatinib group. The median survival was 14 months in the chemotherapy group, much lower than 22 months in the apatinib group. After treatment, the tumor markers of patients decreased, and the reduction degree of tumor markers in the apatinib group was higher. The main adverse reactions after treatment were nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hypertension, hand-foot syndrome, granutopenia, etc. Compared with chemotherapy group, the incidence of hypertension in apatinib group was higher, and other adverse reactions were lower.

Conclusion: Compared with chemotherapy alone, apatinib combined with chemotherapy has higher clinical efficacy, longer survival time and less adverse drug reactions.