Apatinib as post second-line therapy in EGFR wild-type and ALK-negative advanced lung adenocarcinoma.
In the absence of a driver mutation, chemotherapy is the standard treatment option as first- and second-line therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Though a large number of patients are suitable for post second-line therapies, the quality and quantity of the available drugs in this setting is poor. Apatinib, a small molecule vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is a first-generation oral antiangiogenesis drug approved in the People's Republic of China for use as a subsequent line of treatment for advanced gastric cancer. Herein, we report three cases of advanced NSCLC with epidermal growth factor receptor wild-type and anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative status, wherein the patients showed partial response to apatinib. Moreover, the three patients have achieved a progression-free survival of 2.8, 5.8, and 6 months, respectively. The main toxicities were hypertension, proteinuria, and hand-foot syndrome. Apatinib may provide an additional option for the treatment of advanced NSCLC, especially for advanced lung adenocarcinoma without a driver mutation.
Department of Respiratory Medicine Center, Nanjing Chest Hospital; Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Shen-Cun
SC
Fang
Department of Respiratory Medicine Center, Nanjing Chest Hospital.
Hai-Tao
HT
Zhang
Department of Respiratory Medicine Center, Nanjing Chest Hospital.
Ying-Ming
YM
Zhang
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Wei-Ping
WP
Xie
VEGFR-2; angiogenesis; apatinib; non-small-cell lung cancer