@Article{096504019X15707896762251,
AUTHOR = {Jianping Xu, Xiaoyan Liu, Sheng Yang, Yuankai Shi},
TITLE = {Apatinib Monotherapy or Combination Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung  Cancer Patients With Brain Metastases},
JOURNAL = {Oncology Research},
VOLUME = {28},
YEAR = {2020},
NUMBER = {2},
PAGES = {127--133},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/or/v28n2/48538},
ISSN = {1555-3906},
ABSTRACT = {Apatinib, an oral small molecular receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) developed first in China, exerts antiangiogenic and antineoplastic function through selectively binding and inhibiting vascular endothelial growth 
factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). In this study, we aimed to explore the efficacy and safety profile of apatinib 
monotherapy, or combined with chemotherapy or endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR)-TKI in heavily 
pretreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases. We performed a retrospective 
analysis for relapsed NSCLC patients with brain metastases from our institute, who received apatinib 
(250 mg or 500 mg p.o. qd) monotherapy, or combination with EGFR-TKI or chemotherapy as second or 
more line systemic therapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The objective response 
rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), median overall survival 
(mOS), and safety were analyzed. A total of 26 eligible patients were included: 24 patients diagnosed with 
adenocarcinoma, 2 with squamous carcinoma, and 14 patients harboring EGFR sensitizing mutations. The 
mPFS and mOS were 4.93 (range, 0.27−32.91; 95% CI 3.64−6.22) and 14.70 (range, 0.27−32.91; 95% CI 
0.27−43.60) months for the whole group. The ORR and DCR were 7.7% (2/26) and 69.2% (18/26) for the 
entire lesions, and 7.7% (2/26) and 79.6% (20/26) for brain metastases, respectively. Compared with patients 
who received apatinib monotherapy, patients who received apatinib combination treatment had more favorable 
mPFS (11.77 vs. 2.27 months, <i>p</i><0.05) and mOS (24.03 vs. 6.07 months, <i>p</i><0.05). Treatment-related toxicities 
were tolerable including grade 1/2 hypertension, hand-and-foot syndrome, fatigue, nausea, liver dysfunction, 
myelosuppression, skin rash, and palpitation. In conclusion, apatinib exhibited high activity and good tolerance 
for NSCLC patients with brain metastasis, and it might become a potential choice for metastatic brain tumors 
in NSCLC patients.},
DOI = {10.3727/096504019X15707896762251}
}