Efficacy and adverse reactions of apatinib as second-line or later-line treatment in advanced lung cancer

Abstract

Abstract Objective The objective was to investigate the prognostic factors of advanced lung cancer treated with apatinib by log-rank regression analysis. Methods Sixty patients with advanced stage lung cancer confirmed at The First People’s Hospital of Nanning between January 2018 and December 2018 who had received a second-line treatment or a treatment above this level were included. All patients were treated with 425 mg/d apatinib orally for a 28-day course of treatment. Log-rank regression analysis of remission rates, disease control rates, adverse events, and prognostic factors in all patients was performed. Results After treatment, the total remission rate was 6.7%, and the disease control rate was 61.7% (37/60). Progression-free survival was 3.2 ± 0.1 months, and overall survival was 5.3 ± 0.5 months. The overall incidence of grade 3-4 adverse reactions was 15.0% (9/60), and these adverse reactions were significantly relieved by reducing the drug dose or suspending drug use. Differentiation degree, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, and adverse reactions were all important and independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion Apatinib treatment could effectively inhibit the progress of the disease for patients with advanced lung cancer and prolong their survival with relatively mild toxicity and side effects, which is beneficial to patient tolerance. Moreover, the degree of differentiation, ECOG score, and adverse reactions could affect the prognosis of patients.